Calls to suicide and help hotline in Los Angeles increase 8,000% due to coronavirus

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Calls to a suicide and help hotline in Los Angeles went up more than 8,000% from February to March because of the novel coronavirus.

According to the Orange County Register, the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services Center in Los Angeles took 22 calls to their hotline related to COVID-19 in February.

But one month later, that number soared to 1,800 calls.

Crisis hotlines are receiving hundreds of calls as stress and anxiety is at an all-time high for Californians amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Didi Hirsch operates ten locations around Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and are now hiring and training more staff to take the hotline calls.

If you or someone you know needs help, do not hesitate to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Remember, you are not alone and we're all in this together.

As the coronavirus pandemic raises the stress and anxiety levels for Americans, there are multiple solutions to help manage it.