Jan. 25--Every day, it seems, news about the economy is worse. From layoffs to housing foreclosures, the bad news doesn't run out.

And as bad as it's been, it got even worse last week when Lebanon County Coroner Dr. Jeffrey Yocum announced that suicides increased 73 percent last year -- a jump he blamed in part on the economy.

Yocum, who made the announcement Thursday in his annual report to the county commissioners, said that in 2008, 19 people took their own lives compared to 11 in 2007 and 10 the year before. So far this year, the trend is continuing at another record pace as three people have already taken their lives in less than a month.

In addition to the higher numbers, Yocum said, the demographic of those taking their own lives is changing. In previous years, most of the victims were elderly and suffering from health problems. Last year, the suicide victims were generally between the ages of 20 and 50, Yocum said.

The troubled economy is playing a role, he theorized.

"One person just was disgusted with the way things were going," Yocum told the commissioners Thursday. "Probably in the last three or four months, he didn't like the way the world was going. He told a buddy he didn't like it, and the next day he was dead. I really think with what we have going on today, with the economy and jobs -- I really believe it has to do with a lot of what is going on today."

Carol Saltzer, director of Lebanon County Crisis Intervention Information and Referral Center, said the problem is two-fold: People are losing their jobs, and agencies such as Crisis Intervention are losing funding and cutting programs.

"I think the biggest reason for the increase is pretty obvious; the stressors in our life have increased," she said. "The economics and the jobs are the big things, and they're cutting programs ... so there aren't as many resources available as there once were, and that goes for a lot of agencies."

Saltzer said there is usually an increase in suicides this time of year because of the cold, gloomy weather and the holidays. But there has also been an overall increase during the past year, she said.

"We've definitely seen an increase, whether it's anxiety, depression, teens and everyday normal people and business people who are having problems with their jobs," she said.

Although he had no information to back it up, Dr. Erich Batra of Lebanon also theorized the economy is playing a part in the higher suicide rate.