Suicides rise in Kern County

Suicides rise in Kern County (CA)

Monsignor Craig Harrison can still hear the gunshot. He was a young priest back then, a few decades ago. A man he didn't know called him and said he wanted to kill himself. Before Harrison could say much, he heard the gunshot.

"From that time on, I've always had a sense of urgency" whenever anyone talks to him about ending his or her life, said Harrison, who estimated he has conducted about 100 funerals for suicide victims.

In the last few years, Harrison said he's noticed a big jump in suicides. Statistics support his observation.

Suicides in Kern County hit unprecedented levels in 2009, when 98 people took their own lives, the Kern County coroner's staff reported.

That's a 44 percent jump from the average of 68 in the first seven years of the 2000s decade. During that time, the population of Kern grew 25 percent.

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x1664564790/Suicides-rise-in-Kern-County

on - jobs and mental health care for starters.

recessions.

K & R.

It's so sad..I hear their numbers are triple those of soldiers in past wars..Horrible..The multiple deployments probably factor in heavily.