TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A local suicide prevention hotline has gotten a lot more calls lately.
The calls keep coming for 211 Big Bend. From July 2017 to June 2018, the call volume is up 45 percent from the year before.
The highest increases came from teens and what are considered "low risk calls" from people who have recently had suicidal thoughts.
Katie Kliner, Hotline Director at 211 Big Bend, says she thinks the recent publicity of suicide in national media and pop culture has lead to the increase in calls.
"The media and high-profile celebrity deaths. There has also been a song by Logic that came out," said Kliner. "We definitely got a lot more calls especially from younger people after the release of that song."
Kliner said they're starting to see more calls with school back in session, since kids are around their peers more often.
If you or someone you know needs help with suicidal thoughts, you can reach the hotline by dialing 211 or 850-617-6333 and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK(8255).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the suicide rate in Florida went up 10 percent from 1999 to 2016.
The rate in Georgia went up 16 percent during the same period.
