Just as 911 is universal to Americans during emergencies, a federal agency says the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline should be shortened to three digits: 988.

The Federal Communications Commission recommended simplifying the hotline’s current 10-digit number in a sweeping report this week spurred by federal legislation passed last year that called for improvements to the system.

The effort comes at a time when counseling experts say there is a deepening national mental health crisis and there has been a spate of suicides among veterans, police officers and high-profile figures.

The deaths of the celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, the fashion designer Kate Spade and the electronic recording artist Avicii have raised public awareness about the scope of the epidemic and how it cuts across socioeconomic, gender and cultural lines.