(Getty Images)
At the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, emphasized the need for improved mental health awareness.
[–>
“Mental health is health,” according to Dr. Vanderhoff.
[–>
Increasing access to mental health treatment through facilities across the state, particularly in rural areas, has been an ongoing top-priority initiative for state leaders as the mental health crisis continues.
[–>
“Statistics around behavioral health in Ohio, and nationally, rates of depression among both youth and adults have increased in recent years,” Dr. Vanderhoff said. “Statistics tend to lag a few years but data shows that rates have been rising over the past decade, even before the pandemic in 2020, so we can’t blame it all on that extraordinary event. We’ve also seen a higher number of suicides in Ohio since 2017.”
[–>
Leaders like LeeAnne Cornyn, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, want more people to know that it’s okay not to be okay and that there is help available.
[–>
Cornyn’s department encourages Ohioans to use 988, a free, confidential service available to all Ohioans 24/7.
[–>
“If you or a loved one or in a mental health crisis– which could really mean anything from experiencing bouts of suicide to just feeling a little loss– we want everyone to know that help is available,” she said. “When someone calls 988, they’ll be routed to one of Ohio’s 19 call centers and within about 25 seconds, callers will be connected to a trained professional right here in Ohio, who is knowledgeable about the resources within that person’s community. We’re incredibly proud that our time to integrate is faster than the national average.”
[–>
If you would rather text or chat, text 988 or chat online at night@lifeline.org
[–>
988 quick statistics
[–>
- 19 call centers in Ohio available 24/7
- Last year, those call centers responded to more than 163,000 contacts
- One-third of Ohioans know what 988 means
[–>
“We’re pleased that more than 1/3 of Ohioans are aware that it exists, but we can do better,” said Cornyn. “We’re committed to ensuring that it becomes as familiar to the residents in Ohio as 911 is for other types of emergencies. At the end of the day, what we want is for all Ohioans to know that it’s okay to ask for help. And that help is available regardless of where he’s at in Ohio. And that helped his 988. We know that it will save lives.”
[–>
Substance use disorder and mental health
[–>
According to Aimee Shadwick, the director of RecoveryOhio, mental health and substance use disorder are often but aren’t always intertwined.
[–>
“Often times, folks who experience substance use and mental illnesses co-currently,” she said. “Sometimes substance use can be the cause of the mental illness, and sometimes the substance use can be the consequence of the mental illness. Often times, folks will use substances to cope with their mental illness. We also know that sometimes the the inverse is true.”
[–>
Shadwick said as state leaders are talking about mental illness, it’s essential also to consider substance use and how those two sometimes are integrated.
[–>
“Certainly there’s many individuals who only have a mental illness or only a substance abuse disorder, but it’s really, really important to make sure that we are providing that integrated care so if an individual is suffering from both behavioral health challenges at the same time, that they’re able to get the help that they need,” she said.
[–>
Dr. Vanderhoff said the number of unintentional overdoses in Ohio has increased alongside the mental health crisis.
[–>
“The number of unintentional overdoses in Ohio increased from 2,110 in 2013 to 5,174 in 2021,” he said. “Now, we were heartened to see a decrease in 2022 to 4,950, and early data for 2023 is also promising. It’s too early to say definitively, but preliminary data suggests the number may draw too close to 4,500. Still, that is more than double the number I gave you for ten years prior.”
[–>
The state has been increasing drug overdose prevention by adding more Naloxone and fentanyl test strips to the communities.
[–>
“One of the other things we’re always trying to do is increase education in the community,” said Shadwick. “We actually have a training that’s called enCompass training, navigating the disease of addiction. It’s a great training for any community member or family member. We have a training coming up on June 24. It’s free of charge, and folks can find out about that training on the recovery ohio.gov website. Learning how and more about the disease of addiction is fundamental to reducing stigma getting more and more treatment so they can be successful after recovering.”
[–>
She also encouraged young adults entering career fields to look into behavioral health and the Great Minds fellowship program, a $10,000 grant to college students pursuing careers in social work, counseling, therapy, chemical dependency and psychiatric nursing.
[–>
Young adults, children and mental health
[–>
According to the most recent CDC statistics in 2020, 22% of Ohioans 18 years old or older said they had been diagnosed with depression in their lifetime.
[–>
Dr. Vanderhoff said in 2021, 42% of Ohio high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless nearly every day for at least two weeks in the prior year, according to surveys they filled out.
[–>
Among middle schoolers, that rate was more than 37%.
[–>
The U.S. Surgeon General declared a public health crisis in 2023 for the state of mental health among children.
[–>
Ariana Hoet is the executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation and a pediatric psychologist with Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
[–>
“Children are very disconnected and feel alone,” said Hoet. “That’s leading to a lot of the increases in mental health, and social media of course and how it’s impacting their day to day lives and their mental health. So those are two big trends that that we’re keeping our eyes on as part of the reasons of these increases in mental health concerns.”
[–>
What can parents do to help kids build solid mental health skills?
[–>
“Kids, adults, all of us, we need our routines to have mental wellness. That change in going from school structure to less of a structure during the summer can impact children’s behaviors, their mood. For parents, we really recommend thinking about what is the routine and the structure I want to create at home? Yes, we want summertime to be fun and for relaxation time but also keeping kids engaged. There’s something we call behavior activation in our field, which means keeping kids doing fun things connected to others, doing things they value, that they feel proud of. That way, we don’t increase that risk of depression, low motivation or feeling down. Make summer fun, but but don’t let them just sit around all the time without a structure especially for their sleep, for example.”
[–>[–>
Sign up for our Mahoning Matters newsletter
[–>
Support our journalists with a tax-deductible donation
