Calls To State Suicide Hot Line On The Rise

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Officials with the suicide prevention hot line Heartline are reporting a significant increase in the number of calls this year.

Heartline development and outreach director Tom Taylor says the number of calls is up 27 percent for the first half of 2009 with many reporting financial problems and economic worries.

Taylor says the hot line received 2,413 calls during the first half of the year.

State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse director of prevention services Jessica Hawkins says suicide is the leading cause of death for Oklahomans age 10 to 24.

There were 529 suicides in Oklahoma in 2006 -- the last year for which statistics are available.

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