Police see increase in suicide calls during COVID-19 pandemic

HOUSTON - Houston police say they’ve seen a nine percent increase in suicide and mental health-related calls since the coronavirus pandemic began.

And in The Woodlands, local officials have planned a hearing for Thursday to look at an increase in suicides there.

Looking at suicides in Harris County in the month of May 2020, the medical examiner’s office has confirmed just 31 so far—the same number as May 2019. But that number will likely change—200 death investigations are still pending for May 2020, leaving the question open about how many suicides have occurred since the pandemic began.

Deputies say surveillance video indicates the death of a 17-year-old at Ehrhardt Elementary Tuesday was a suicide, making it the latest in what Houston Police say has been an increase in suicide and mental health calls since the coronavirus pandemic began.

“We have calls from folks with weapons trying to harm themselves,” said Deputy Aaron Brown with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Response Team. “We have folks that- it’s a family disturbance. We have a variation of calls. They’re all different things all the time.”

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Response Team is on the front lines of the suicide and mental health calls in the county.

“I’m gonna tell you a majority of what I do is listening,” said Brown. “People want to be heard, and sometimes it’s hard to tell your family some of your inner thoughts.”

Houston police say the biggest spike in suicide and mental health calls occurring in April in the thick of the stay-at-home orders.

And Dr. Asim Shah with Baylor College of Medicine says emergency rooms also saw a significant increase in suicide and mental health visits beginning in March.

“It has impacted everybody—the pandemic—but kids more-so because the things kids used to do to be happy and enjoy in life—all of those are affected,” said Shah. “For example, they are socially isolated. They cannot go out.”

“When they’re not able to have their voice and have someone to listen to, sometimes events happen,” said Brown. “We’re fortunate enough that we have teams that can go out there and give someone a voice.”

Dr. Shah says parents should check-in and make sure their children are doing alright during this time.

“Kids who have depression can have physical pains like stomach ache,” said Shah. “They can also have social withdrawal.... It is very important to have the right discussion with the kid at the right time, so parents first need to be aware of the warning signs, and once they know the warning signs, they need to talk to the kid. They should be doing it, and the right time is when you can talk without argument.”

Brown says the biggest tip for anyone going through mental health issues is to communicate. Make sure the person going through that tough time has a support system to talk to.