Researchers Noticed a Drop-in Suicide Rates in the U.S. After the Release of the Track by the Rapper Logic with a “Helpline” in the Title

A group of Austrian scientists concluded that during periods of increased interest in social media for the track “1-800-273-8255” by the American rapper Logic, the suicide rate in the United States dropped by 5.5%. The study was published in the British scientific journal The BMJ.

The single was released in 2017. The title of the track is the number of the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The lyrics of the song are written on behalf of a man who wants to kill himself but calls for psychological help. This call was a turning point on the way to overcoming the crisis.

Logic performed the track at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, which was watched by about 5.5 million viewers. The song entered the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and stayed on the list for several weeks. The number of searches with the track’s name on Google went up 10%. By the end of 2020, the song had racked up a billion listens on Spotify.

According to the U.S. Suicide Prevention Service, in the three weeks following the release of the single, the number of calls to the hotline increased by 27%. The organization’s website was visited by 100,000 more people than before.