Ohio's new suicide prevention plan
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Ohio has a new roadmap for preventing suicide in the years ahead.
Why it matters: The state's suicide rate has trended upward since the start of the pandemic, spurring leaders to develop new solutions to reach a variety of ages and cultures.
Driving the news: The Suicide Prevention Plan for Ohio 2024-2026 was released last week with actionable steps for stakeholders like health professionals, teachers and business leaders.
- The nonprofits Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF) and Health Policy Institute of Ohio created the plan, with state help and funding.
The big picture: A record number of people in the U.S. died by suicide in 2022, underscoring the nation's mental health crisis coming out of the pandemic, Axios' Jason Millman reports.
- Ohio's suicide rate was 15.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, according to preliminary state health data, compared to the national rate of 14.3.
- That's up from Ohio's rate of 14.6 in 2021 and 13.8 in 2020, per the CDC.
Zoom in: The plan urges workplaces and schools to better identify those at risk and connect them with mental health resources.
- Experts suggest universal suicide screenings in both primary and speciality health care settings, such as dentist and gynecology offices.
- It highlights the importance of safe firearms storage — an issue heavily promoted by Columbus health officials — noting that a majority of Ohio deaths by suicide involve guns.
- And it calls for continued public marketing for 988, the suicide prevention hotline that launched in 2022.
What they're saying: "The heartbreak of losing a family member to suicide is a pain that cuts deep, leaving behind a void that words can't fully capture," Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement promoting the new plan.
- "Suicide is at a crisis level, and it will take a statewide effort to reduce the rate of loss," OSPF executive director Tony Coder wrote in the plan's introduction.
Threat level: Ohio's highest suicide rates are in rural counties, data from the plan shows.
- More than 80% of those who died by suicide in Ohio in 2021 were male.
- Suicides are also more prevalent among veterans and white residents, though rates have increased in recent years among other ethnicities.
- Of note: The state recently announced a separate suicide prevention program targeting Black youth and young adults.
What we're watching: The plan also recommends Ohio create a new suicide data dashboard to transparently evaluate the state's progress.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Ayuda disponible en español.