Ohio Suicide Rate Jumps 24% From 2008 To 2017 Amid Deindustrialization Wave
America's
manufacturing sector was established in Ohio. But decades of
deindustrialization have left once-thriving communities across the state
in ruins. Ohio's manufacturing jobs were slashed to half by 2016, and
median household income fell below the national average.
At the same time, tens of thousands of Ohioans lost their jobs,
became depressed under financial pressure, and from 2008 to 2017, the
suicide rate in the state jumped 24%, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Some of the highest rates were located in Appalachian Ohio, the
southeastern part of the state, and the suicide rate among men was four
times greater than women.
Rates skyrocketed 80% among young millennials (children 14 and
younger) and 57% for baby boomers, according to a report published by
the 28-organization public-private Ohio Alliance for Innovation in
Population Health.
During the period, there were 15,246 suicides across the state, for
an average annual rate of 13.3 deaths per 100,000 people, the report
says, which equates to more than 520,000 years of life were lost over
the decade.
Summit County had 786 suicides from 2008 to 2017, at a rate of 14.51
per 100,000 population. Summit's economy experienced deep
deindustrialization over the years, leaving surrounding communities in a
state of shock.
Other counties and their suicides and rates were: Stark (591, 15.74),
Medina (206, 11.95), Portage (189, 11.71), Cuyahoga (1,461, 11.41) and
Wayne (125, 10.92).
Lori Criss, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and
Addiction Services, said the suicide crisis is a significant concern for
the State Health Improvement Plan.
"Our department and a number of others have initiatives that address
suicide prevention and support families impacted by losing a loved one
to suicide," Criss said. "This gives us a chance to really look at those
and to grow them in intentional ways to have the impact that we need
with specific communities or populations who are at higher risk."
The report shows nine of the 10 Ohio counties with the highest suicide rates are located in the Appalachian region.
Orman Hall, the study's author, explained these areas had experienced economic deprivation through deindustrialization.
Michelle Price, program director at the Ohio Suicide Prevention
Foundation, added that these counties had seen incomes collapse for
farmers and industrial workers.
Other findings: The highest suicide rates were among white Ohioans;
rate increases were more in rural communities than in metropolitan
areas, and firearms accounted for half of all suicides.
With a manufacturing recovery nowhere in sight and a deepening trade
war, it's likely suicide rates across the state will continue to move
higher into 2020. When the next downturn strikes, one-off factors
relating to financial asset losses could drive the rate to record highs.
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