Calls To U.S. Suicide Hotlines Increases

January 12, 2009 6:12 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The suicide of Madoff investor Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet and German billionaire Adolf Merckle on the first week of January highlights the desperation that has hit people negatively affected by the global financial crisis.

While experts are not sure if more suicides may take place as the economic crisis worsens, the rise in number of calls to suicide centers in the U.S. is seen as a positive sign that desperate Americans are seeking help.

In 2008, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline received 545,000 calls, which was a 36 percent rise from 2007 levels, said NSPL director John Draper. He said a lot of adult callers to hotline that deal with foreclosure problems feel they are isolated and the only person dealing with such a kind of problem, which is part of suicidal thinking.

Draper identified the areas where significant rises in suicide calls were recorded as Dallas, Pittsburgh, suburban San Francisco, Hyattsville, Delaware and Detroit. Among the problem areas mentioned by callers were worries over job losses, evictions, insurance loss and reductions in public health programs.