CALGARY As the Bell Let’s Talk national awareness campaign and fundraiser draws attention to mental health, Calgary social workers and researchers say the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on mental health. At the same time, there has been a recent increase in calls by those seeking support. Calgary’s Distress Centre experienced a 103 per cent increase in suicide-related contacts in December 2020 compared to December 2019. Data the organization collected from November 2020 shows that nearly 25 per cent of the more than 4,400 calls, online messages and texts the organization fielded were suicide-related, a 73 per cent increase in suicide calls compared to the same period in 2019.