Why Is Mental Health In Ohio So Bad? 7 Solutions

Poor mental health can take many different forms. You may feel down, unmotivated, worthless, lonely, or disconnected from your life. Or you may have symptoms relating to a specific diagnosable mental illness like an anxiety disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or bipolar disorder. Severe, prolonged, or recurring periods of poor mental health are not only exhausting and harmful on their own, but also commonly related to other serious life problems like chronic illness, self-harm, thoughts of suicide, substance abuse, and more. 

No matter how severe or mild they may be, mental health problems are treatable. Therapy and other interventions help countless people better manage their mental health and live happier and healthier lives. Expanding access to mental health treatment has never been more important, as, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2023, 22.8% of American adults (58.7 million) now live with some form of mental illness. At the same time, around one in 11 adults have had a major depressive episode, and one in 20 have had serious thoughts of suicide. 

The State Of Mental Health In Ohio

While the United States as a whole is experiencing a period of heightened poor mental health, the state of mental health in Ohio is consistently reported as being worse than that of the nation as a whole. In fact, according to U.S. News & World Report, the Buckeye State is the fifth worst state in the nation for overall mental health, with 19.6% of Ohio adults living with poor mental health, compared to 16.5% of adults nationally. 

Likewise, according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO), the percentage of Ohio adults reporting frequent poor mental health days (14 or more each month) increased by as much as 20% from 2011 to 2020 (12.7% to 15.3%). The percentage change for young adults, ages 18 to 24, increased the most with a shocking 81% climb, along with a 40% increase for adults ages 24 to 34. 

The same report revealed that Ohio also had a greater-than-average percentage of adults reporting some form of depression (22% vs 20.5% nationally), and that Ohio’s suicide rate also increased among all age groups, races, and genders from 2007 to 2021. White men ages 25 to 64 were found to be especially susceptible to suicide during this period, particularly in Ohio’s impoverished Appalachian regions. 

Why Ohioans Tend To Have Worse Mental Health 

Mental health is a complex topic, impacted by everything from a person’s genetics to their current physical health, relationships, financial outlook, spiritual life, diet, environment, sleeping habits, and more. This complexity can make it difficult to extrapolate from individual factors to the mental health of entire communities and regions.

However, there are a variety of factors that have been proposed to explain why Ohio may have worse overall mental health than other states, including the following:

• lower educational attainment, as 31.2% of Ohioans with less than a high school degree have depression, compared to 17.5% of college graduates, according to HPIO
• lower annual household incomes, as 42% of those who make $15K or less have depression, compared to only 9.9% of those making $200K or more
• unmet needs for mental health treatment, with rural and Appalachian counties being particularly underserved despite having higher rates of mental and behavioral health problems
• high numbers of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs, which are strongly linked with the development of mental and behavioral health conditions), as Ohio is one of the five states with the highest occurrence of ACEs, according to the Children’s Defense Fund Ohio and the Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition
• high rates of substance abuse and addiction, including abuse of opioid drugs and methamphetamine, with Ohio reporting the ninth highest national rate of drug overdose deaths, according to the CDC

7 Solutions For Improving Mental Health In Ohio

While the Ohio mental health crisis is concerning, there are steps that can be taken to address these heightened rates of poor mental health and mental illness. Proposed solutions, many of which have been compiled in the document Mind the Gap: Creating a Robust Continuum of Behavioral Health Care for Young Ohioans, prepared by by the Children’s Defense Fund Ohio and the Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition, include the following action items:

1. Improve Screening For ACEs And Develop Support Systems For Young Ohioans

That Ohio has such a high rate of children experiencing not just one but repeated ACEs in the course of their development is extremely concerning, and needs to be addressed immediately on every level. School staff, healthcare providers, and childhood providers should be used to screen for ACEs, with specialized treatment and support systems developed to care for those children who have been affected, and who are at a higher risk of developing lifelong mental and behavioral challenges as a result. 

2. Improve Ohio’s Economic Outlook

Optimism and security are important foundational aspects for good mental health, so it’s no surprise that Ohio’s poorest areas (especially the Appalachian region and other rural communities) report the highest rates of suicide, poor mental health, and substance abuse. 

By reinvesting in these area’s infrastructure and cultivating long-term economic growth, the mental health of residents in these regions can be sustained on a generational basis. 

3. Develop Programs For Specific At-Risk Groups

There are numerous high-risk and often underserved groups in Ohio who would benefit from targeted, specialized care and support, including:

• veterans
• rural populations 
• minority groups
• LGBTQ+ people

By reaching out to these and other marginalized groups on a local basis, more effective interventions can be developed to meet their specific needs.

4. Enhance Substance Abuse Treatment Access

Drug and alcohol addiction are both a cause and an effect of mental illness, as both conditions commonly co-occur and each can trigger the development or worsening of the other’s symptoms. 

As a result, it is increasingly important that substance abuse treatment options be made available to all Ohioans who struggle with substance use disorders (SUDs), whether or not they also experience co-occurring mental health conditions. This includes low- and no-cost options and rural treatment solutions, ensuring that barriers between individuals and the treatment they need are eliminated. 

Dual diagnosis treatment programs, like those provided by Ohio Recovery Center (ORC), should also be expanded, as these programs are able to meet the needs of Ohioans with complex and interconnected mental, emotional, behavioral, and social problems and reduce the risk of relapse or other negative outcomes after treatment begins. 

5. Expand Mental Health Screenings

Before a problem can be treated, it needs to be identified. Mental health screenings should, therefore, be incorporated into other medical, educational, and community services like routine medical care, school counseling, and more.

6. Build A Greater Sense Of Community

According to the U.S. surgeon general, loneliness in the United States has reached an epidemic state. Americans, despite being chronically online and digitally connected, tend to have fewer close relationships than in the past, spend less quality time with others, and often lack a sense of community attachment or belonging. This loneliness is thought to contribute to a devastating undertow of worsening mental health in the digital generations. 

Communities must come together to combat this growing isolation, building a greater sense of civic belonging and identity wherever possible, and encouraging people of all ages to come together and form relationships at events or in other meaningful ways. 

7. Increase Options For Public Mental Health Education

Ultimately, public health experts and medical providers can’t be everywhere. So, it is important that the public understanding of mental health be expanded accurately, with particular attention paid to:

• combating stigma
• the signs and symptoms of poor mental health
• the effectiveness of mental health treatment
• prevention and mental health maintenance

Mental Health Treatment At Ohio Recovery Center

There could be many signs that you or someone you love has been struggling with their mental health. But, whatever you may be going through, you aren’t alone. Mental health treatment is available that can help you feel like yourself again and move forward in life with confidence. 

These options include short-term residential treatment for mental illness and poor mental health in Ohio, offered by Ohio Recovery Center. Located in Van Wert, our intensive inpatient treatment services can give you a safe, secure, and comfortable place to begin your mental health recovery. You’ll be surrounded by experienced and compassionate treatment professionals who will be able to help you understand what you are going through while developing effective short-term solutions and a personalized, long-term plan to meet your unique needs. 

Our stabilization services and other mental health treatment is available for people with anxiety disorders, clinical depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, schizophrenia, and other mental health conditions. To learn more about our treatment options and how they can meet your personal needs, please contact ORC today.