CrisisLink, a crisis prevention hotline serving Northern Virginia and Washington D.C., reports that suicide-related calls have dramatically increased in recent months.

From July 2008 to January 2009, suicide-related calls jumped nearly 69 percent when compared to the same time period the prior year. Overall, the number of suicide-related calls the organization fields during that six months was 1,940.

Last October alone, suicide-related calls rose 142 percent when compared to the same month in 2007. CrisisLink’s suicide calls that are the most severe and require a "rescue" have also increased 65.5 percent during the six months period when compared to the prior year.

According to staff member Marshall Ellis, historical data on the national level shows a very close correlation between suicide rates and economic downturns. He said some of the increase could also be due to more awareness about the hotline in general.

"No doubt that we are definitely hearing about more things related to economic downturn in our calls." said Ellis.