An Unhappy Holiday Note

Here's a troubling reminder that the holidays have a downside: Oregon Partnership says its suicide crisis line staff performed five suicide rescues last week in a two-hour period.

Whether that's a statistical anomaly is unknown, but it does contrast with the non-profit's average of about ten suicide rescues a month. And Oregon Partnership, which works on fighting substance abuse and suicide, ascribes the spike in suicide attempts to the holidays and the lousy economy.

Oregon Partnership also reports calls to its crisis line have increased 50 percent in the last two years. This news is particularly troubling given Oregon's suicide rate is 35 percent higher than national average, according to a 2010 Oregon Public Health report.

To learn more about how to identify and prevent suicide, visit Oregon Partnership's suicide prevention page.