Suicide is the leading cause of death among preteens in Ohio, a shocking new report has revealed.
The number of suicides among Ohio children between ages 10 and 14 jumped 250 percent between 2007 and 2018, according to new figures released by the state’s Department of Health (ODH) released last week.
Researchers also found that suicide was the second-leading cause of death for Ohians between ages 15 and 34.
The report falls in line with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found that, in 2017, rates of suicide among teens and young adults were at their highest in two decades.
‘Suicide in Ohio and nationally is a growing public health epidemic, particularly among young people,’ Dr Amy Acton, director of the ODH, said in a statement.
A new report from the Ohio Department of Health found that suicide deaths among preteens between ages 10 and 14 rose from eight deaths in 2007 to 28 deaths in 2018 (file image)
For the report, researchers looked at data from ODH’s Bureau of Vital Statistics between 2007 and 2018.
The analysis showed that, over the 11-year period, the number of suicide deaths rose by nearly 45 percent from 1,268 to 1,836.
This means that, currently, five Ohians kill themselves every day and one youth between ages 10 to 24 dies by suicide every 33 hours.
The highest suicide rate was among adults 45 to 64 years old, but suicides among young people saw the biggest jump.
Suicide rates among people ages 10 to 24 spiked by 64.4 percent from 7.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2007 to 12 deaths per 100,000 in 2018.
For kids ages 10 to 14, suicide was the leading cause of death, rising from eight deaths in 2007 to 28 deaths in 2018.
‘Now we have numbers to say: “We need more resources, we need more monitoring, we need more screening and kids are in need of help,”‘ Dr Brittany Myers, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, told News 5 Cleveland.
The report also found that suicides rates were highest among white, non‐ Hispanic males, and men of all races were about four times more likely to commit suicide than women.
And while, historically, white Americans have had higher rates of suicide than black Americans, the suicide rate among black males climbed 54 percent from 2014 to 2018.
Earlier this year, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the creation of a new council, RecoveryOhio, which provides recommendations to improve mental health and substance use prevention and treatment services in the state.
‘One of the goals of my RecoveryOhio initiative is to address mental illness and other issues that contribute to suicide,’ DeWine said in a statement last week.
‘If you know someone is struggling, you may be able to help save someone’s life by recognizing the warning signs and steps to take.’
ODH says some classic warning signs include major changes in mood and behavior, alcohol or substance abuse, self-harm and a history of depression.
- For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here.
- For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here.
- For confidential support in Australia, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or click here.