In comparing prevalence of mental health issues between 2018 and 2019, about 25% of Ohioans reported experiencing mental health problems.
"Ohio slid from 11th to 25th in the group's annual mental health rankings, meaning the situation dramatically worsened year-over-year. The scale measures the prevalence of issues as well as access to health care."
"Just over 6% of Ohio adults reported serious thoughts of suicide — an increase of nearly 1%, the highest change reported nationwide."
Read more: https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2021/11/09/ohio-mental-health-crisis-2021
But what toll has the pandemic had on mental health?
The CDC reports that "During August 2020–February 2021, the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or a depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5%..." in the United States.
Read more: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7013e2.htm
Mental health was a great for Ohioans concern pre-pandemic, but with the pandemic-related surge in mental health related issues, it is more important than ever for Ohioans to take mental health concerns seriously.