Suicide calls on the rise

TAMPA - Health experts say suicides and depression have increased significantly in the past few months, as the economy continues to worsen.

Debra Harris is the director of 2-1-1 Tampa Bay , one of the services offered at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. Her staff deals with people contemplating death every day. Harris said the number of suicide calls they get jumped 122 percent in the last year.

"More and more people are being laid off. Jobs are ending and they're not certain. There is no 'plan b' so they're not certain what happens next month," Harris told FOX 13.

Doctor Walter Afield has been a Bay Area psychologist for 49 years. He said he's never seen anything like this.

"I have a few patients that are prostitutes that say there business is slow too" Afield explains. "Which tells you a little bit, when it hits the man on the street it becomes very real and people are starting to go nuts."

The latest research by the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition from 2007 showed suicide was the ninth leading cause of death for Floridians. More than 2500 people took their lives, and that was up more than 150 from the year before. Now, the concern is those numbers will go even higher.

"The underlining theme is they're losing their support system. Thier bedrock. The foundation. Where's our country going? What are we doing?" Afield said.

Click here for some of the warning signs of depression .

If you or someone you know needs help you can call the national suicide hotline number at (800) SUICIDE, or dial 2-1-1 if you live in Hillsborough County.  You can also click here for the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay's website .