Feb 29, 2020, Dayton (OH) Daily News: DeWine: Ohio has ‘mental health crisis that’s a real threat to our families’ https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dewine-ohio-has-mental-health-crisis-that-real-threat-our-families/ZX4YH89k7rGwuXuXiXls3J/ After a steady and alarming rise in suicide deaths over the past decade, Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday called for more public awareness and a more coordinated statewide effort to prevent the tragedies from happening. At an event at Dayton Children’s Hospital, DeWine outlined a plan that calls for raising awareness about warning signs and risk factors; integrating prevention practices into health care, public safety and education networks; zeroing in prevention efforts for groups with higher rates of suicide — youths ages 10 to 24, males ages 25 to 59, and veterans and military members. … DeWine noted that his two-year state budget includes $675 million for K-12 schools to spend on wellness initiatives, including hiring mental health specialists. He said he’ll push to renew that money and add to it in his next state budget proposal. Between 2007 and 2018, suicide deaths increased 45 percent among all age groups and by 56 percent among youths ages 10 to 24, according to state health officials. Since 2007, 20,196 people in Ohio have died by suicide, including 1,715 in 2019 and 90 so far this year, according to the latest data from the state department of health. …
