By Deba Uwadiae

Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, has advised Ohioans to continue to take the weather very seriously by taking appropriate steps to keep warm and avoid cold exposure.

“The biggest health risk in this weather are hypothermia and frostbite. Body temperature that is too low affects the brains making the person unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know that it is happening or may not react promptly,” said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff at a press conference to discuss the 2023 Ohio Suicide Report and give an update on respiratory illnesses.

“Some of the signs and symptoms of hypothermia Shivering, Exhaustion or feeling tired, Confusion, Fumbling hands, Memory loss, Slurred speech, Drowsiness and for babies, bright red or cold skin and low energy.”

On frostbite, Dr Vanderhoff said “the risk of frostbite can happen to an individual’s uncovered skin within minutes, adding that signs of frostbite include a white or gray-yellow toned skin area, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy and numbness.”

If you notice signs of hypothermia or frostbite on yourself or someone else, seek medical attention immediately.

The number of suicide deaths in Ohio declined for the first time in three years in 2023, decreasing about 1% from 2022’s numbers, according to the 2023 Ohio Suicide Report released by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

2023 Ohio Suicide Report

Ohio deaths by suicides dropped to 1,777 in 2023 – 20 fewer than 2022. Ohio’s decrease compares favorably to national numbers. Across the country, suicide rates declined by less than 1% last year.

Ohio’s reduction in suicide deaths comes amid the state’s increased emphasis on mental health. Under the leadership of Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio has launched a series of initiatives to improve mental health and serve as a lifeline to people in crisis or experiencing thoughts of suicide.

“Ohio has become a national leader in addressing the mental health crisis, and this latest report indicates welcome progress,” said Governor DeWine.

“But while this decrease in suicide deaths is certainly a step in the right direction, we must continue to make improvements in suicide prevention and mental health. Depression and suicide remain a serious threat – especially to our kids. If anything, our progress should inspire us to further advance our commitment to this life-saving work, because the life of every Ohioan is precious.”

In 2023, suicide remained the second-leading cause of death among Ohioans ages 10-14 and 20-34 and was the 12th-leading cause of death overall. On average, nearly five Ohioans died by suicide per day, including one individual age 10-24 every 36 hours.

“Suicide is a human tragedy. It impacts the health and well-being of our loved ones, friends, co-workers, and entire communities,” said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, M.D., MBA.

“All of us can play a part in continuing to bring these numbers down by paying attention, recognizing when someone is struggling, and knowing where to turn for help.”

White non-Hispanic males continued to lead all groups for suicide in 2023, accounting for 68.7% of all suicide deaths (1,441).

Other key findings of the 2023 report include:

• Black non-Hispanic females and White non-Hispanic females had the largest decreases in the rate of suicide deaths, both decreasing by 6%.
• Ohioans ages 45-54 was the age group with the highest rate of suicide deaths (20.1 per 100,000 population).
• Firearm was the mechanism used in over half (58.0%) of all suicide deaths (1,031).
• The number of suicide deaths by drug poisoning increased by 11%.

(Rates are calculated as deaths per 100,000 population.)

Last January, Gov. DeWine announced the release of the 2024-2026 Suicide Prevention Plan for Ohio, reinforcing his commitment to eliminating obstacles for families and individuals grappling with suicide. The plan, which is a collaborative effort of Governor DeWine’s RecoveryOhio initiative, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, serves as a blueprint to mobilize and align state efforts to prevent suicide.

“The data reflected in ODH’s latest report suggests that we are beginning to see results from our collaborative, targeted work to address suicide, but we are still losing Ohioans every day,” said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn, whose department leads several statewide suicide prevention initiatives.

“Every Ohioan can play a role in reducing suicide in our communities simply by talking about mental health. Every time we remind someone that they are not alone, and that help is available, we can raise awareness, reduce stigma, and spread hope. Together, we can save lives.”

Suicide Prevention Strategies Underway Across Ohio

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was established to improve both accessibility of crisis services and to meet the nation’s growing suicide and mental health-related crisis care needs. The easy-to-remember, 3-digit number provides 24/7, free and confidential support to Ohioans experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Since launching in July 2022, Ohio’s 19 call centers (the most of any state in the nation) have responded to more than 440,000 contacts – which includes calls, chats, and texts from Ohioans in all 88 counties. Ohio 988’s speed-to-answer rate of 25 seconds exceeds the national average of 36 seconds. Also, 99% of calls are answered in-state by a fellow community member familiar with Ohio, meaning only 1% roll over to national 988 backup call centers.

• Building suicide prevention capacity and infrastructure at the organizational, local, and state levels. Ohio has taken action to increase the number of suicide prevention coalitions that are aligned with the CDC’s best practices and established the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion at Ohio University and a School-Based Center of Excellence at Miami University to focus on prevention and early intervention among Ohio’s K-12 students. These centers provide training to the behavioral health workforce and serve as resources for communities and 71 suicide prevention coalitions representing 84 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

• Community Town Halls. In 2024, OhioMHAS partnered with Butler County and Mahoning County to implement a community-based suicide prevention process that aligns with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Strategic Prevention Framework and the CDC’s Suicide Prevention Resource for Action. Each county hosted a Suicide Prevention Community Conversation to decrease stigma, increase awareness of resources, and encourage help-seeking behaviors. More than 125 people attended these community conversations. Each county implemented a Suicide Prevention Assessment to identify the most prominent suicide risk and protective factors in their counties. Using findings from their assessments, each county partnered with their suicide prevention coalition to develop a Gap Analysis. Based on the Gap Analyses, OhioMHAS provided each county with tailored recommendations to inform local suicide prevention action plans. OhioMHAS is working to partner with additional counties in 2025.

• Black Youth and Young Adult Suicide Prevention Initiative. Announced in January 2024, this initiative enhances local and statewide capacity to boost efforts in suicide prevention, stigma reduction, and addressing factors contributing to the comparatively high suicide rate among Black youth and young adults. It primarily serves at-risk youth ages 10-24 in Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, Montgomery, Muskingum, and Summit counties. The initiative’s Community of Practice – which includes representatives from 23 organizations – supports suicide prevention through community interventions, resource sharing, and collaboration. It unites Ohio-based organizations, practitioners, and stakeholders committed to reducing suicide among Black youth. In 2024, the initiative advanced in areas such as partner empowerment, service accessibility, community education, and workforce enhancement.

• Transformation Transfer Initiative. Ohio received a $250,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for their 2025 Transformation Transfer Initiative, focusing on crisis care and suicide prevention for underserved youth. Ohio will support and expand the efforts of their Black Youth and Young Adult Suicide Prevention Initiative, with a focus on engaging people with lived experience. Goals include: conducting a series of professional development and skill-building opportunities for youth-serving community leaders to build suicide prevention expertise; promoting trainings on strategies to aid faith leaders in offering effective suicide prevention programs, promoting youth awareness campaigns that incorporate messages around 988; developing and distributing a resource toolkit to guide organizations in implementing Black youth and young adult suicide prevention strategies in alignment with the 2024-2026 Ohio Suicide Prevention Plan; and empowering Black youth to engage in youth-led programs utilizing the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to develop action plans and suicide prevention strategies to implement in their local communities.

• Building resiliency and promoting lifelong well-being of students. We know by increasing protective factors upstream, youth are more likely to reach out for help when they need it. In his first budget, Governor DeWine created the Student Wellness and Success Fund for schools to join community partners to help meet the physical, mental, and behavioral health needs of their students. Since FY20, this program has provided public and community schools with $1.4 billion in funding to provide wraparound supports for students. During FY24, 764 districts and community schools implemented 1,026 mental health initiatives utilizing funds. OhioMHAS and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) have also partnered with Ohio schools to provide Sources of Strength. Research suggests students who participate in these programs are less likely than their peers at other schools to struggle with mental health problems, bullying, violence, drug misuse, or to die by suicide. Ohio invested $4 million to bring sources of Sources of Strength to Ohio with the hope of preventing adverse outcomes by increasing well-being, help-seeking, resiliency, healthy coping, and belonging in our schools and beyond. So far, Sources of Strength has reached 117,178 students in 105 Ohio districts. (If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or visit 988Lifeline.org for 24/7, confidential support.).

Support the New Americans magazine to continue to serve our community with precise news that affect the new American, immigrant and refugee community. https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8LHFS78NRNJJY&source=url