SCOTLAND'S ambulance crews are dealing with more mental health calls during the pandemic, including reports of a possible rise in suicides.
Pauline Howie, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, told MSPs overall demand dropped during lockdown but mental health calls rose.
And a paramedic based in Livingston said a number of her colleagues had "responded to increased calls for deaths by suicide".
They were giving evidence during a meeting of Holyrood's Health and Sport Committee.
Ms Howie said the ambulance services's workload "dropped quite dramatically" after the first lockdown.
She said: "From April 2020, particularly in unscheduled 999 demand, we saw a decrease of around 13 per cent of demand.
"As lockdown measures eased, demand started to increase back to normal levels roundabout August, and then as more restrictions were introduced, demand has again fallen down."
But she added: "Interestingly, while overall unscheduled demand has decreased, our demand for mental health calls has increased over that time period.
"There's been a 9% increase in mental health presentations to our services and mental health presentations now represent 6% of all our calls to the ambulance service."
Gail Topping, a paramedic at Livingston ambulance station, said crews were responding to "a lot more people who are struggling mentally with the restrictions that have been in place".
She told MSPs: "A number of my colleagues have responded to increased calls for deaths by suicide.
"I'm not sure if that is reflected in the statistics, but it seems to be picked up on more because of what we're going through as a nation.
"I think as an organisation we empathise with the struggles that people are facing."
She said it has been a difficult time for all involved.
Samaritans can be contacted 24 hours a day by calling 116 123.
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