Catch up quickly: September is Suicide Prevention Month, and the rising suicide rates demand urgent attention. Suicide rates increased 36% from 2000–2022, claiming 49,476 lives last year—roughly one death every 11 minutes, according to Blue Cross California.   The big picture: With mental health challenges escalating, particularly among young people, it’s essential to foster a...

Catch up quickly: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine launched the Ohio Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) program, encouraging businesses to support people in recovery from substance use or mental health conditions by implementing recovery-friendly practices, according to a recent press release.   The big picture: Ohio’s new initiative promotes hiring people in recovery, reducing workplace stigma surrounding...

The big picture: Ohio State University’s Life Sports initiative, Coach Beyond, is transforming the role of coaches across Ohio. This program, which has trained 20,000 coaches, emphasizes mental health and personal development alongside athletic training. The goal is to create a more supportive and balanced environment for student-athletes, according to Public News Service.   Why...

The Big Picture: University Hospitals, in collaboration with local agencies, has launched a $1.3 million pilot program aimed at enhancing the response to mental health-related emergencies in Cleveland’s eastern suburbs, according to EMS1 News.     Catch Up Quickly: The initiative focuses on training dispatchers to better identify and handle mental health crises during 911...

The Big Picture: Since 2017, Ohio’s collaboration between schools and community behavioral health centers has surged by 223%, showing a robust response to growing mental health needs among students, according to Ohio Capital Journal.     Zoom In: The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Services Providers reports that 3,610 educational settings now integrate...

The Big Picture: The United States faces a severe maternal mental health crisis, with conditions like postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety affecting not only mothers but also creating lasting impacts on their children and family dynamics. This crisis, contributing to a quarter of pregnancy-related deaths annually, remains poorly understood and under-addressed, according to Fortune Magazine....

The Big Picture: Medicare is poised to embrace the digital age in mental health treatment with a new proposal to cover digital therapies, as announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to Fast Company.     Catch Up Quickly: The proposed change, set to take effect in 2025, introduces three new...

The Big Picture: A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report criticizes the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs for insufficient mental health support to troops transitioning out of military service, spotlighting the heightened suicide risk during this vulnerable period, according to Stars & Stripes.       Catch Up Quickly: The report reveals that veterans...

The Big Picture: Amid increasing pressures, Ohio’s agricultural sector is tackling mental health issues head-on with a new anonymous survey aimed at understanding the stressors impacting farmers, according to WYSO.       Catch Up Quickly: The survey, a collaborative effort by the Ohio Farm Bureau, Department of Agriculture, and Ohio State University, targets farmers,...

The Big Picture: Ohio is making significant strides in addressing mental health crises with the 988 hotline, launched nationwide in 2022 to provide immediate access to mental health resources. The hotline is increasingly utilized by households, workplaces, and schools to handle mental health emergencies, reducing the burden on emergency departments, according to Mahoning Matters.  ...