One in four adults in Ohio (25%) report needing mental health treatment and have not received it, the same percentage as the entire United States.
Columbus, Ohio- Editor’s Note: The video above is taken from a previous article on mental health
Incidents of depression are higher than the national average in Ohio, and reported suicides are also on the rise, a new study shows.
Overall, the percentage of Ohioans reporting poor mental health was on the rise, according to a study by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.
“As in other areas of health, data shows that access to care is necessary, but not sufficient, to address the root causes of mental health issues faced by many Ohioans” , says the report.
From 2011 to 2020, adults in Ohio who reported having “poor mental health days” jumped 20%, from 12.7% to 15.3%, according to HPIO data.
The trend was greatest for Ohioans between the ages of 18 and 24, but the increases were present for all age groups except the 55-64 age bracket. This group saw the only improvement, with poor mental health days reported 5.3% fewer than in the past ten years.
Young adults, ages 18 to 24, were the group most likely to report depression, with 29.5% of Ohio adults in this age range having been diagnosed with depression by a healthcare professional. health.
Of those reported to have depression in any age group, 27.4% were female and 16.3% were male, according to the study.
Statewide, the rate of depression was found to be 22%, which puts the state above the national rate of 20.5%.
Conversely, the national average for people seeking mental health treatment is lower than Ohio’s, with 12.2% of children in Ohio receiving mental health treatment between 2019 and 2020, compared to 11 % of US children ages 3-17.
In Ohio, 18.6% of adults receive treatment, compared to 16.5% in the United States.
“However, one in four adults in Ohio (25%) reported needing mental health treatment and did not receive it, the same percentage as the entire United States,” the report said. researchers in the report.
According to the HPIO, depression appears to occur more in Ohio with lower levels of education and lower annual family income. Research using a survey system called the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System showed that 42% of people diagnosed with depression earned less than $15,000 a year and 31.2% said they had less than a college degree. ‘secondary studies.
Deaths by suicide have also increased in Ohio, with the increase being greater among men. The biggest increase has been seen among black people in Ohio, who have seen a 56% increase in suicide deaths over the past 14 years, according to the HPIO. White residents of Ohio saw a smaller increase, at 34%.
Ohios considered most likely to die by suicide tend to be between the ages of 25 and 64, the researcher concluded using statistics from the Ohio Public Health Data Warehouse. But increases were seen at all ages.
Among adults aged 25 to 64, 19.4 suicide deaths per 100,000 population were reported in 2021, compared to 15.1 per 100,000 in 2007. Ohios aged 18 to 24 recorded 19.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2021, compared to 12.9 per 100,000 in 2007. group was aged 65 and over, with 16.2 deaths per 100,000, compared to 11.3 in 2007.
The report recommended public and private partnerships to “ensure that more Ohioans have the opportunity to lead healthy, productive lives” and prevention strategies that would promote mental health.
HPIO was hired by the Ohio Department of Health to create a state health improvement plan “to improve health, well-being, and economic vitality in Ohio.”
Through the use of regional forums and online surveys, as well as meetings of an advisory committee, the improvement plan included six priorities to focus the state’s plan. These included improving community conditions like affordable housing and K-12 student success, health behaviors like increasing physical activity and nutrition plans, and strategies accessibility to care such as health insurance coverage and ‘unmet needs for mental health care’.
“Access to quality mental health services is essential for maintaining mental health, managing mental illness, preventing and supporting mental health crises, and reducing premature deaths,” the improvement plan states. “Equal access to mental health care is also an important step toward achieving health equity for all Ohioans.”
In order to provide needed mental health care, however, the state will need to address a shortage of mental health workers, which the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio says leaves the state with 1 professional per 10,000 Ohioans.
Support for youth mental health could also benefit from additional state investments, as the state ranks near the bottom in addressing negative childhood experiences, and advocates say the behavioral health of children needs more consistent support.
Read more from the Ohio Capital Journal.
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