Catoosa County Coroner Vanita Hullander began working as the county coroner 19 years ago.Get help
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, there are resources available. Visit suicide.org/hotlines/georgia-suicide-hotlines.html to learn more.
Suicides in Northwest Georgia are on the rise. Catoosa County is no exception.
Catoosa County Coroner Vanita Hullander, who took office 19 years ago, said she is surprised by the increase she has seen over the years – last year it was seven; this year, 12.
“That’s an alarming increase, especially for a county our size,” said Hullander. “One out of every 10 deaths this year [in Catoosa County] was a suicide.”
Many people who commit suicide have a mental health history with severe depression, she said, and about one-fourth have either attempted to kill themselves before or threatened numerous times, but never completed the act.