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Since 2004

Tag: mental illness

  • University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children’s part of statewide mental health research initiative

    University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children’s part of statewide mental health research initiative

    News release from UC News

    SOAR Study to identify risk and resiliency factors to improve behavioral health outcomes

    headshot of Tim TedeschiBy Tim Tedeschi

     

    The University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital are part of a collaborative research initiative designed to identify contributors to the ongoing epidemic of persistent emotional distress, suicide and drug overdose in the state of Ohio.

    The SOAR Study investigates the role of underlying biological, psychological and social factors.

    The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is funding this statewide research project with an initial $20 million grant. Like other areas of the country, Ohio has seen a rise in mental illness, suicide and deaths related to drug overdose over the past decade, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these problems.

    “The causes of these diseases remain largely a mystery to clinical experts and the public,” said LeeAnne Cornyn, director of OhioMHAS. “The SOAR Study has the potential to help future generations better understand risk factors, effective mitigation strategies and techniques to build resiliency — in short, the study has the potential to curb disease and save lives.”

    SOAR is studying Ohioans in their local communities, using an integrated “bring science to the people” approach. It is creating a statewide medical research and development ecosystem to drive continued advances in mental health, substance use prevention and treatment interventions.

    The SOAR Study has two parallel but connected projects.

    Better understanding biomarkers of risk and resilience among Cincinnatians is in line with our department’s vision to advance the understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders. – Cal Adler, MD

    Focusing on breadth, the SOAR Wellness Discovery Survey is engaging as many as 15,000 people across all 88 Ohio counties. Researchers want to uncover how strengths and skills may be related to overcoming adversity. Those strengths will inform researchers about which factors to focus on to develop new treatments. This portion is underway, with more than 300,000 postcards mailed out to residents statewide.

    Focusing on depth, the SOAR Brain Health Study will comprehensively study as many as 3,600 Ohioans in family groups to examine the biological, psychological and social factors that help explain response to adversity, with longer-term goals of personalizing individual care.

    The SOAR Study will engage a multidisciplinary team of experts from UC and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University, Central State University, Kent State University, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Case Western/University Hospital-Cleveland, Ohio University, University of Toledo and Wright State University.

    CALEB ADLER WITH UC LAB COAT PSYCHIATRY
    Cal Adler, MD. Photo/University of Cincinnati.

    Faculty and staff in UC’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience will enroll approximately 500 Ohioans who will complete study procedures such as MRIs, EEGs, neuropsychological assessments, biospecimen collection and questionnaires.

    “Better understanding biomarkers of risk and resilience among Cincinnatians is in line with our department’s vision to advance the understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders,” said Cal Adler, MD, professor, vice chair of research, co-director of the Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, director of the Center for Imaging Research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at UC’s College of Medicine and a UC Health physician. “We have already begun to enroll Ohio families and anticipate engaging over 200 participants over the next year.”

    “This important SOAR Study builds on our long-standing academic health mission, and we are proud to champion this vital research to help all Ohioans,” said John J. Warner, MD, chief executive officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president at Ohio State. “Mental health care is health care, and this study will help us inform prevention and treatment strategies to advance patient-centered care and influence the way we train our future care providers.”

    Leaders of the study say SOAR aims to do for addiction, mental illness and mental health what Framingham Heart Study researchers did for heart disease and heart health. Launched in 1948, the multigenerational Framingham Heart Study has enrolled more than 15,000 study participants over 75 years, resulting in major life-saving advancements about heart disease risk factors.

    “Our approach with the SOAR Study will allow us to identify the factors that can be modified to reduce risk and build resilience,” said SOAR Study principal investigator K. Luan Phan, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ohio State. “We won’t be able to ‘bend the curve’ on the growing number of deaths of despair, such as those from addiction and suicide, until we go upstream to better understand their etiology. SOAR is the first statewide, multigenerational comprehensive study in the nation that will offer a new roadmap for developing better treatments and cures that will improve and save lives.”

    Impact Lives Here

    The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city’s direction. Next Lives Here.

    If you are interested in participating in this study, please reach out to the UC study coordinator, Rachel, at 513-558-5319.

    If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

  • Ohio launching $20 million, decade-long study to improve behavioral health outcomes

    Ohio launching $20 million, decade-long study to improve behavioral health outcomes

    Getty Images illustration of therapy session.

    The study seeks to better understand the root causes of mental illness, substance use disorders, and suicide.

    BY:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

    The state of Ohio is embarking on a decade-long study to better understand the root causes of mental illness, substance use disorders, and suicide.

    The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services is providing a $20 million grant to fund the State of Ohio Action for the Resiliency (SOAR) study, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced during a press conference Friday.

    “Currently, there’s a lot that we don’t know and the SOAR study is a huge step forward in advancing our understanding of mental health and substance use disorders,” said Ohio State University President Ted Carter. “This study will provide key data that will shape the future of mental health across Ohio and beyond.”

    “There’s nobody that is not affected by this,” Carter said. “There’s somebody that you know in your family, your community, your neighborhood that is affected by this.”

    The study will go for at least a decade with the hope it will continue for decades to come and will look at generations of families from all across Ohio who are affected by mental illness and substance abuse disorders, DeWine said. Funding for the SOAR study comes from the state’s two-year operating budget.

    “We know mental illness and substance use disorders are preventable, treatable, and people can and do recover,” said Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director LeeAnne Cornyn.

    The SOAR study has two main projects — the SOAR Wellness Discovery Survey and the SOAR Brain Health Study.

    The wellness study will study as many as 15,000 people across Ohio’s 88 counties to learn how skills may help overcoming adversity. The brain health study will look at 3,600 Ohioan in families to help look at the biological, psychological, and social factors that help people handle adversity.

    “There’s still an awful lot to know about mental health,” DeWine said. “And candidly, the research in this field has not been as robust as it has been in other areas. … It will give us a complete picture of each participant to uncover why, for example, two people in similar circumstances or with similar health have very, very different outcomes.”

    Ohio State University will lead the study and is partnering with hospitals and universities around the state: Bowling Green State University, Central State University, Kent State University, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio University, the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, University of Toledo and Wright State University.

    The SOAR study will be led by Dr. Luan Phan, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.

    “Our approach … is to identify the factors that can be modified to reduce risk and build resilience in the face of stress, trauma and adversity,” Phan said. “It’s important to identify what we don’t know — the root causes, the risks, the preventive factors of mental illness, to explain what, I feel, are fairly simple, but fundamental questions: who gets ill? Why did they get ill? How do they get ill? And when do they get ill?”

    Researchers hope this study will do for mental health what the Framingham Heart Study has done for heart disease.

    The Framingham Heart Study was initiated by the United State Public Health Service in 1948 to investigate the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. It has enrolled more than 15,000 study participants.

    “Ohio represents a microcosm of our country,” Phan said. “What we learn here can be disseminated and scaled broadly. Other states will not only copy and adopt what we have done, they will be compelled to do so.”

    Suicide and opioid overdose deaths

    Nineteen Ohioans die prematurely every day from unintentional overdose and suicide, Phan said.

    Opioid overdose deaths increased by more than 300% since 2010 in Ohio, said Dr. John Warner, CEO of Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

    Suicide deaths in Ohio increased 8% to 1,766 deaths from 2020 to 2021 — meaning five Ohioans die by suicide every day, according to Ohio Department of Health’s Suicide Demographics and Trends 2021 report.

    The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline received 8,793 calls from Ohio area codes from July 2022 to May 2023, according to the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

    During that same time, there was an average of 2,014 texts and 2,007 chats per month to 988 from Ohio area codes.

    Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X.

    Megan Henry
    MEGAN HENRY

    Megan Henry is a reporter for the Ohio Capital Journal and has spent the past five years reporting in Ohio on various topics including education, healthcare, business and crime. She previously worked at The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA Today Network.

    MORE FROM AUTHOR

  • There’s more to preventing suicide than an Instagram post

    There’s more to preventing suicide than an Instagram post

    by Olivia Rohling

    At 12:00 a.m. on September 1st, 2022, the calendar officially flipped to September. As with every month, the month of September has its fair share of holidays and monthly recognitions. There’s Labor Day on the 6th, Grandparents Day on the 12th, Yom Kippur that begins on the 15th, and my birthday (which I’m totally counting as a holiday) that falls on the 23rd. September is also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, World Alzheimer’s Month, and the one I’m writing this article about: National Suicide Prevention Month.

    I’m not sure if it’s just because of the people I choose to follow on social media, though I’m sure that at least plays some part in what I’m about to say, but when the calendar flipped to September, and being the avid Instagram-scroller that I am, I continuously came across the same anti-suicide infographic posted on people’s stories listing resources like the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and more. At first, like I’m sure many others who viewed the same infographic, I thought “That’s a nice gesture.” I didn’t see anything wrong with such posts. And to be clear, there isn’t necessarily something “wrong” or “bad” about posting and sharing such infographics that have mental health resources and information, and I’m not here to bash and shame those who choose to do so. Their intentions are in the right place, and some of those who choose to share such information may very well have a personal connection to the topic of mental illness and suicide, which makes sharing such resources all the more valid and understandable.

    Like I said, there isn’t anything wrong with caring enough about others and a topic like mental illness to share helpful resources across social media, but rather there is something missing with the good intentions already in place. Though it’s nice to think you’re making a difference by posting these resources, chances are, they help fewer people than you think. It would be nice if mental illnesses weren’t so complex, and attempting to solve the problems they cause was as simple as an Instagram post, but that’s just not the way it works. The issue of mental illness runs much deeper than a simple repost on Facebook. Preventing suicide means checking in on your friends: The one who never seems to stop laughing, the one you know is struggling, the one who’s struggled in the past, the one who seems perfectly fine, and even the one who says “Check in on your friends.” And it’s not a, “Hey, how are you?” because that’s how you get the simple “Tired” as a response. You ask, “How are you doing, really? Is there anything you need? How can I help you? Please be honest with me.” And checking in on someone is not a one-time thing. Be persistent. Be ready for an answer that isn’t “I’m fine” or “I’m just tired.”

    Preventing suicide starts with not turning away when the not-so-pretty and less romanticized symptoms of mental illness present themselves. Preventing suicide starts with being a good listener. Preventing suicide starts with supporting free or even just affordable healthcare so that the help that is so often talked about can be attainable for those who need it. Posting the National Suicide Prevention Hotline might do something, but what someone who is struggling with mental illness and suicidal thoughts really needs is support and care that is visible and intentional.

    I don’t want you to take away from this article that you should stop posting infographics with helpful resources across social media. In fact, I’d encourage you to still do so if that’s your kind of thing. Posts as such are informative and how we educate ourselves. What I want you to take away from this is that suicide prevention runs much deeper than a social media post. There is a second component to the social media posts that we often forget, and it’s the piece of real action.

    Don’t forget: Tell your friends you love them sincerely and often.

  • House to vote on removing training, background check requirements for concealed carry

    House to vote on removing training, background check requirements for concealed carry

    File photo from Wikimedia Commons attributed to St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.

    “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people”

    House Speaker Bob Cupp

    BY: JAKE ZUCKERMAN – Ohio Capital Journal

    The Ohio House will vote, once again, on legislation to remove training and permitting requirements to carry a concealed handgun in the state.

    House Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, said the legislation, which a House committee passed out on Tuesday, will be up for a passage vote at a floor session Wednesday afternoon.

    Because the House adopted two amendments to the bill, it will need to return to the Senate for approval. Cupp said it will “hopefully” pass over in time for a Senate concurrence vote, meaning the bill could be sent to the governor’s desk come Wednesday afternoon.

    However, Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, indicated the Senate would not vote on the bill Wednesday so members could analyze the changes. The Senate passed the legislation in December in a 23-8 vote, with all but one Republican in support. All Democrats opposed the legislation.

    Senate Bill 215, sponsored by Republican Sen. Terry Johnson of McDermott, would remove the requirement under current law that gun owners obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon from their local sheriff. The application requires completion of an 8-hour training course and clearing a background check.

    Instead, any Ohioan aged 21-and-up who can lawfully possess a gun would be allowed to conceal and carry the weapon.

    Between 3,000 and 5,000 concealed carry applications are typically denied per year, according to data from the attorney general’s office. Possible reasons for denial include certain felony and misdemeanor convictions, a previous court finding of mental illness, being the subject of a civil protection order and others.

    Looming passage of the bill comes as 2021 has overtaken 2020 as the record-setting year for gun deaths in Ohio, according to data from the state health department. GOP Rep. Shane Wilkin, R-Hillsboro, who leads the committee that passed the legislation Tuesday, said he “doesn’t really understand the question” about how he thinks about passing a gun rights expansion amid a surge in gun violence.

    Cupp brushed aside a similar question.

    “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people,” he said. “Also it was the deadliest year for the highways, as I understand it. So not sure there’s a connection.”

    Several activists with Moms Demand Action, an anti-gun violence organization that formed in the wake of the Sandy Hook School Shooting that left 20 children dead, pleaded with lawmakers Tuesday to drop the bill in something of a last-ditch effort.

    Rebecca Gorski cited a June 2021 incident in which a local TV station reported a man accidentally shot himself in the face at a Geauga County gun range. Scott Hildenbrand, the local sheriff, was quoted encouraging the man to go through some gun training. Hildenbrand has since spoken out against the proposed legislation.

    At the hearing, Republicans voted down a series of amendments from Democrats generally aimed at reducing gun violence. One would have created an “extreme risk protective order” mechanism, in which families or law enforcement can petition a judge to temporarily seize weapons from a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Another would close a loophole that allows the purchase of firearms in some settings like gun shows without a background check. Another would have required licensed gun sellers to issue a one-page pamphlet to buyers about Ohio’s gun carrying, possession and use laws.

    Democrats — citing opposition testimony on the legislation from the Fraternal Order of Police, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey and others — emphasized law enforcement opposition to the legislation and characterized it as a threat to the general welfare.

    “SB 215 is anti-public safety and anti-police,” said Rep. Tavia Galonski, D-Akron. “This legislation puts Ohio law enforcement officials in the line of fire and makes them less safe. We need to be taking steps to make our communities safer, and this dangerous bill does the opposite.”

    The Buckeye Firearms Association, a prominent gun lobby group, has declared the bill (informally known as “constitutional carry” or “permitless carry”) to be a major priority issue as primary elections near.

    As such, both the House and Senate, under firm Republican control, have passed dueling yet substantively similar versions of the bill. With the Senate legislation as the vehicle of choice, the House must pass the legislation and send it to the Senate. The Senate can either accept the House’s changes (minor in nature) or bring the matter to a conference committee to iron out any differences.

    However, Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, who offered the amendments, indicated Tuesday that they were introduced with the sponsor’s blessing. The Ohio House passed a different but nearly identical bill in November on a party line, 60-32 vote.

    Should the Senate pass the legislation, it goes to the desk of Gov. Mike DeWine. The governor has reserved comment publicly on the bill, but he privately told Buckeye Firearms during his 2018 campaign that he would sign constitutional carry legislation if it reached his desk.

    Public health researchers and anti-gun violence researchers draw links between relaxed gun policies and homicide rates and others. For instance, researchers with the American Journal for Public Health found states with permitless carry laws were associated with an 11% increase in handgun homicide rates. The National Bureau of Economic Researchers found states experienced about a 14% higher rate of violent crime after adopting a new concealed carry permitting system similar to Ohio’s current one.

    Gun advocates argue that those who plan to illegally carry a weapon or use it for nefarious purposes will already do so, regardless of any permitting requirement. Additionally, they say Ohio laws already allow for the open carry of firearms, so it’s somewhat incongruous that the law doesn’t allow for the concealed carry of firearms.

    Some bill supporters, including Senate President Huffman, have argued the legislation is a logical extension of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in 2003 that “there is no constitutional right to bear arms.”

    Susan Tebben contributed to this report.

  • In Crisis?

    In Crisis?

    Call 911 if you are facing a dangerous situation or thinking about hurting yourself

    These resources are suggested by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Southwest Ohio, a grassroots education, support and advocacy organization.

    NAMI offers educational programs, support groups, and an information and referral phone line. They work together with their national organization (NAMI) and their state affiliate (NAMI Ohio) to advocate for people living with mental illness and their families.

    NAMI Southwest Ohio is committed to the following values:

    1. Recovery: Recovery is possible with comprehensive treatment. Mental illness, like most other illnesses, comprises biological, psychological, and social factors.
    2. Access to Treatment: All individuals should have access to treatment appropriate to their needs.
    3. Needs Adequately Addressed: The needs of all those affected by mental illness, including people living with mental illness, family members, friends and others should be adequately addressed.
    4. No Guilt, Shame, Blame or Stigma: There should be no stigma associated with mental illness.
    5. Collaboration: Collaboration within the mental health community is vital to effective treatment and recovery.
    6. Excellence: All NAMI’s support, education and advocacy programs should be conducted with the highest possible standards.
    7. Inclusion: All segments of the community should be included as we seek to be the voice for mental health in Southwest Ohio.
    8. Respect: All individuals should be treated with respect in every situation.
    9. Openness and Responsiveness to Change: NAMI will be quick to adapt to positive research, medications and treatment, and will be willing to consider changes that will improve the delivery of our mission.
    10. Fiscal Responsibility: Financial policies and decisions will be carefully weighed in order to optimize the use of resources in the most efficient and effective manner.

    Youth America Hotline

    (877) YOUTHLINE (968-8454)
    www.youthline.us

    The Youth America Hotline is a free peer-to-peer hotline network that links callers to community-based peer counseling hotlines.

    Call 911 if you are facing a dangerous situation or thinking about hurting yourself

    Crisis Text Line

    Text START to 741741

    The Crisis Text Line is available 24/7 to help you with any kind of crisis. Visit www.crisistextline.org/faq to learn more about how the Crisis Text Line works.

    CEO, Dan Gillison, talks to the NAMI community about COVID-19

    Local Resources By County

    Butler County:

    Mobile Crisis Team And Consultation

    (844) 4CRISIS (1-844-427-4747)

    24-hour Hotline: Need someone to talk to? Call the same Mobile Crisis Team phone number above. They are there to help!

    Clermont County:

    Clermont County Crisis Hotline

    (513) 528-SAVE (7283)
    www.child-focus.org

    This free and confidential hotline is available 24-7 and provides suicide prevention, crisis intervention and referral information to Clermont County youth and adults.

    Hamilton County:

    Talbert House Crisis Hotline

    (513) 281-CARE (2273) or text Talbert to 839863
    www.talberthouse.org

    This 24-hour suicide and crisis hotline offers crisis intervention and information and referral services to individuals of any age.

    Mobile Crisis Team At University Hospital

    (513) 584-5098
    www.uchealth.com

    To refer an adult or child, call (513) 584-5098. Mobile Crisis is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 12:00 am and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

    After hours, referrals can be made through Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES). Call (513) 584-8577. PES will page the Mobile Crisis Team if necessary.

    Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES)

    (513) 584-8577
    www.uchealth.com

    Provides round-the-clock care to patients in crisis with psychiatric emergencies, or for those experiencing suicidal and/or homicidal feelings.

    Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC) At Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

    (513) 636-4124
    www.cincinnatichildrens.org

    Located within Cincinnati Children’s, PIRC is the admission and evaluation center for all psychiatric services.

    Hamilton County Mental Health Access Point (MHAP)

    (513) 558-8888
    www.mentalhealthaccesspoint.org

    Mental Health Access Point (MHAP) exists as the front door to the Hamilton County public mental health system. MHAP, a division of Central Clinic, provides assessment, support, and connections for children and adults residing in Hamilton County who are in need of mental health services.

    Warren County:

    Warren And Clinton Counties Crisis Hotline

    (877) 695-NEED (6333)
    www.mhrsonline.org

    This 24-hour telephone offers support to residents of Warren and Clinton Counties for emergencies related to mental health and substance abuse.

    National Resources 

    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

    (800) 273-TALK (8255)
    www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

    The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Calls will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.

    • Call for yourself or someone you care about
    • Free and confidential
    • A network of over 150 centers nationwide
    • Available 24/7

    Youth America Hotline

    (877) YOUTHLINE (968-8454)
    www.youthline.us

    The Youth America Hotline is a free peer-to-peer hotline network that links callers to community-based peer counseling hotlines.

    Veterans Crisis Line

    (800) 273-8255 and Press 1
    Text 838255
    www.veteranscrisisline.net

    The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.

    Suicide Prevention In College Resource Guide

    This online guide, created by Affordable Colleges Online, is designed to offer hope and help for college students who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, as well as their friends and family.

    www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/college-suicide-prevention

    NAMI Information Helpline

    (800) 950-NAMI (6264)
    www.nami.org

    Trained volunteers provide information, referrals, and support to all who have questions about or are affected by serious mental illness. The NAMI Information Helpline is available Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm EST.

    Call 911 if you are facing a dangerous situation or thinking about hurting yourself

  • Youth suicide deaths increased by 56% from 2007-2018

    Youth suicide deaths increased by 56% from 2007-2018

    Suicide Deaths Increased by 45% Among All Ohioans
    and by 56% Among Youth Ages 10-24 From 2007-2018

    Columbus, Ohio – In a report issued by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) on November 13, in Ohio, five people die by suicide every day, and one youth dies by suicide every 33 hours, according to a new report released by the ODH. In 2018, there were 1,836 suicides in Ohio and the highest suicide rate – the number of suicide deaths per 100,000 population – was among adults 45-64 years old. Males are disproportionately burdened by suicide across the lifespan, and their suicide rate is nearly four times the rate among females.

    One youth dies by suicide every 33 hours

    “One of the goals of my RecoveryOhio initiative is to address mental illness and other issues that contribute to suicide,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “If you know someone is struggling, you may be able to help save someone’s life by recognizing the warning signs and steps to take.”

    “Suicide in Ohio and nationally is a growing public health epidemic, particularly among young people,” said ODH Director Amy Acton, MD, MPH. “Suicide is the leading cause of death among Ohioans ages 10‐14 and the second leading cause of death among Ohioans ages 15‐34.”

    Warning signs of suicide include:

    • A major change in mood or behavior, appearing consistently unhappy/depressed, irritable, withdrawn from family or friends
    • Poor grades in school or other bad performance in extra-curricular activities
    • High-risk behaviors, including the use of alcohol or other substances
    • Problems with concentration, and changes in energy level, appetite or sleep schedule
    • Expressing feelings of hopelessness or not wanting to live anymore
    • Hurting themselves (e.g., wrist-cutting, burning self)
    • History of depression or family history of depression

    National Suicide Prevention Life line (1-800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line (text “4hope” to 741 741)

    If someone you know is showing signs of suicide, here are some things you can do:

    • Ask directly about thoughts of suicide (asking about suicide does not increase the risk of suicide but does open up conversation)
    • Listen to what they need
    • Keep them safe by keeping lethal means away from them
    • Call 911 if necessary
    • Help them connect with ongoing support, such as a local crisis line, the National Suicide Prevention Life line (1-800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line (text “4hope” to 741 741)
    • Check back the next day to see how they are doing
    • Encourage them to seek out a counselor for more help

    Other highlights of the ODH report include:

    • From 2007 to 2018 the number of suicide deaths increased nearly 45% in Ohio.
    • Suicide rates are highest among white, non-Hispanic males.
    • From 2007 to 2018 the number of suicides among youth ages 10-24 increased by 56%, and the suicide rate increased by 64%. In 2018, 271 of Ohio’s suicide deaths were in this age group.
    • From 2014 to 2018 the suicide rate among black non-Hispanic males increased nearly 54%.
    • From 2007 to 2018 the suicide rate among older adults age 65+ increased nearly 48%.

    Governor DeWine created the RecoveryOhio initiative and a RecoveryOhio Advisory Council that includes a diverse group of individuals who have worked to address mental illness and substance use issues in prevention, treatment, advocacy, or support services; government; private industry; law enforcement; healthcare; learning institutions; and faith organizations. In an initial report, the council issued more than 70 recommendations in the areas of stigma, parity, workforce development, prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery supports, and data and outcomes measurement. Information and resources on where to get help are available at RecoveryOhio.gov.

    The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services offers suicide prevention information and resources on its website at mha.ohio.gov.