EXCLUSIVE: Los Angeles suicide hotline has received upwards of 1,500 calls in March - 75 times the previous month - over fears of getting coronavirus and related anxiety about eviction, inability to pay bills and losing loved ones

  • Didi Hirsch's Suicide Crisis Line, which runs one of the largest suicide call centers in the US, has an increased number of calls, DailyMail.com can disclose
  • The L.A. center has received more than 1,500 calls about coronavirus, and calls about the disease have increased 75-fold over the past month
  • The charity said top concerns were 'anxiety, stress, fear of eviction, inability to paying utilities, health concerns or losing loved ones to the virus'
  • Lyn Morris, Senior VP of Clinical Operations for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, told DailyMail.com the calls would 'skyrocket' in the coming weeks
  • Data from the charity showed that among the 1,519 callers who spoke about COVID-19 in their calls, one in five expressed a desire to kill themselves
  • Callers worried about COVID-19 tended to be older, with 37% aged over 45, the charity data showed

By Josh Boswell For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

A Los Angeles suicide crisis hotline has received more than 1,500 calls about coronavirus, and calls about COVID-19 have increased 75-fold over the past month, DailyMail.com can disclose. 

Didi Hirsch's Suicide Crisis Line, which runs one of the largest suicide line call centers in the country, warned the number would grow exponentially over the coming weeks, as people buckle under the pressure of lost loved ones, lost jobs and the nationwide shutdown.

The charity said top concerns among callers were 'anxiety, stress, fear of eviction, inability to paying utilities and take care of family, unemployment, health concerns or losing loved ones to the virus.'

Didi Hirsch's Suicide Crisis Line, which runs one of the largest suicide call centers in the US, has an increased number of calls, DailyMail.com can disclose. The L.A. center has received more than 1,500 calls about coronavirus, and calls about the disease have increased 75-fold over the past month

Didi Hirsch's Suicide Crisis Line, which runs one of the largest suicide call centers in the US, has an increased number of calls, DailyMail.com can disclose. The L.A. center has received more than 1,500 calls about coronavirus, and calls about the disease have increased 75-fold over the past month

Lyn Morris, Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, told DailyMail.com the calls would likely 'skyrocket' in the coming weeks. 

'We've taken over 1,500 calls already in March just specifically related to the coronavirus and I do believe that will continue to increase,' she said.

Morris added that 500 of those calls were in just the past seven days.

'Our history with things like this, like in the 2008 recession, the first couple of weeks it's a little hard to gauge call volume because everybody's in shock, taking care of their basic needs first. 

'Then the weeks after are usually when we start to see the call volume really increase. 

'Two weeks from now, we're probably going to see a big increase as the fear, the anxiety builds, and as the death toll from coronavirus rises we would expect that.' 

Data from the charity showed that among the 1,519 callers who spoke about COVID-19 in their calls to the suicide line, one in five expressed a desire to kill themselves. 

Anxiety or stress was a top concern for 43 percent, health concerns were a key worry for 25 percent, relationship concerns for 21 percent, and loneliness or isolation for 19 percent. 

Figures from previous years show that most callers are usually young, with 14 percent of callers aged 45 or older on average. 

Lyn Morris (pictured), Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, told DailyMail.com the calls would likely 'skyrocket' in the coming weeks

Lyn Morris (pictured), Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, told DailyMail.com the calls would likely 'skyrocket' in the coming weeks

But the callers worried about COVID-19 tended to be older, with 37 percent aged over 45, the charity data showed.

'We've had three times as many calls from people 45 and older. They're dealing with retirement issues, employment and family issues, is what it seems,' Morris told DailyMail.com. 

More of the callers than usual were female, showing that anxiety over the effects of the virus and subsequent lockdown were hitting women hardest, the charity said. 

Though the gender split of callers is normally even, among those calling because of coronavirus 66 percent were female. 

'Females are calling more for the COVID crisis. We're not sure yet what that's about,' the Didi Hirsch VP said. 

'Preliminary data is showing that they tend to be more responsible for the kids, who are at home now. And they are probably the ones stocking up on supplies, and tend to be the ones that take on that caretaker role.' 

Morris said the crisis line has not yet seen an increase in the total number of calls, but expects to see many more in the coming weeks, and has already seen a 50-fold increase in the number of callers citing COVID-19 as their reason for picking up the phone.

'We've had a slight uptick in overall call volume, but not huge yet,' said Morris. 

More of the callers than usual were female, showing that anxiety over the effects of the virus and subsequent lockdown were hitting women hardest, the charity said. Though the gender split of callers is normally even, among those calling because of coronavirus 66 percent were female

More of the callers than usual were female, showing that anxiety over the effects of the virus and subsequent lockdown were hitting women hardest, the charity said. Though the gender split of callers is normally even, among those calling because of coronavirus 66 percent were female

'It's not skyrocketing yet, but it will, because we're just in the very beginning stages of this. 

'When the reality hits of unemployment, people's kids home for a longer time, people feeling they're running out of food or supplies, or god forbid somebody in their household gets sick with the virus, that's what's really going to hit. And that's when we'll see the call volume rise more so.' 

Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services has provided mental health, substance use and suicide prevention services to low-income families for over 75 years, and is the home of the nation's first Suicide Prevention Center. 

Their Suicide Crisis Line takes approximately 11,000 calls per month, and helped 130,000 people 'in emotional or suicidal distress' last year. 

The charity suggested those feeling overwhelmed by the health crisis should try to find ways to connect with others, via video or phone calls, saying hello to others when out walking, and spending time together with family when at home.

The charity recommended regular exercise and maintaining a routine while sheltering in place under the lockdown, and working on getting enough sleep, and limiting drinking alcohol. 

Research shows that giving – by running errands for others, giving a grocery gift card to someone in need, or even showing gratitude to health workers – can be good for your own mental health, the charity recommended.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, call Didi Hirsch's Suicide Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255. 

Caring counselors are there 24/7 to provide confidential and anonymous support. 

As part of the national Disaster Distress Helpline, the charity is also talking to people in distress over the coronavirus disaster at 1-800-985-5990. 

Didi Hirsch is part of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's 24/7 Crisis Chat service, which can be accessed at www.didihirsch.org/chat.

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