On January 23rd, 2025, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) released a report detailing suicide deaths in Ohio. About a month later, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction (OMHAS) released 988 By the Numbers, which contained information on use of the 988 Lifeline across calls, texts, and chats in 2024. This information provided by ODH and OMHAS helps us understand where Ohio has been regarding mental health and tracking suicide, but what plans does the state budget have to support the important work of the 988 Lifeline?
Why is 988 Important? Here are some fast facts from the ODH Suicide Report:
- Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in Ohio
- In 2023, there were 1,777 suicide deaths in Ohio. Compared to suicide deaths in 2022, this was a one percent decrease
- Firearms were involved in over half of all deaths, with individuals 65 years of age or older having the highest percentages of firearm related suicide deaths (75%)
- Drug poisoning as cause of death rose significantly from 2022 to 2023 by 11 percent (11%)
How will Ohio’s budget tackle suicide?
The state budget for FY 2026-2027 delivers a promise to Ohioans by investing in behavioral health services. One of the major priorities of Governor DeWine’s budget is bolstering the 988 Lifeline, which continues work from the previous biennium. In the last biennium, the state budget moved appropriations totaling $20.1 million from the General Revenue Fund (GRF) to Fund 5AA1 to support the 988 Lifeline.
The Redbook for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction (OMHAS) proposes funding the 988 Lifeline by making appropriations into a new spending line item QG18. Redbooks describe previous trends, current funding, and proposed funding for an agency and contain policy proposals within it.
In this case, the Redbook for OMHAS details earmarks from the earlier biennium and how funding for the lifeline moved from the General Revenue Fund (GRF) to fund 5AA1 to allow for other sources of funding outside the GRF. The creation of a new line item QG18 for this biennium has been introduced to support the 988 Lifeline through nonmedical marijuana tax revenue. Below is a breakdown of the two line items, as well as their earmarks:
988 updated information on calls and text
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction recently published 988 by the numbers in 2024, which had information related to contact, text, and chat data obtained from individuals who called the Lifeline. There have been:
- 456,008 total 988 contacts across calls, text, and chat since July 2022.
- In terms of contact, most contacts through 988 have been through calls, with 12,645 average monthly calls from an Ohio area code. This also includes Spanish speaking and veteran calls that were directed to national call centers.
- The second most common form of connection is text, with 3,836 texts on average recorded per month. Chats are the third most used form of contact, with 1,728 chats on average received per month from Ohio area codes. Within the first two years of the 988 Lifeline, there have been more than 300,000 calls, texts, and chats from Ohioans.
Demographic breakdown of Ohio Department of Health’s Suicide Report
Age
- In 2023, Ohioans between the ages of 45 to 54 had the highest suicide deaths (a rate of 20.1 per 100,000), with the next most substantive age group being individuals between the ages of 25 to 34 (a rate of 19.9 per 100,000 population).
- Youth suicide between the ages of 10-24 had one of the largest decreases of suicide, which is a reduction by six percent (-6%), as well as Ohioans between the ages of 35-44. This is a reduction of 11 percent (-11%).
- From 2022 to 2023, the two age groups with the largest increases in suicide deaths are Ohioans between the ages of 55 to 64 (10 percent, or 10%) and Ohioans between the ages of 45 to 54 (four percent, or 4%). The age-adjusted rate also decreased in this same period. Ohio’s age adjusted rate of 15 suicide deaths per 100,000 in 2022 decreased in 2023 to 14.6 deaths per 100,000.
Gender
- From 2022 to 2023, women had a seven percent decrease in suicide deaths, while men had a 0.4 percent increase.
- Women between the ages of 25-34 had the largest number of suicide deaths, with the highest suicide deaths being among women between the ages of 45-54.
- Men between the ages of 25-34 also had the highest number of suicide deaths, with the highest rate among men being 75 years and older.
- In 2023, men had the largest total amount of suicide deaths in Ohio, accounting for 81% of suicide deaths.
Race/Ethnicity
- Across all race/ethnicity groups, Asian American/Pacific Islander non-Hispanic individuals were the only demographic to have an increase of suicides (12%). Asian American/Pacific Islander non-Hispanic Ohioans account for about 3 percent of Ohio’s population and made up almost two percent (1.4%) of suicide deaths in 2023.
- In 2023, White non-Hispanic men had the highest rate of suicide deaths, with a rate of over 25 deaths per 100,000.
- Black non-Hispanic males had the second highest suicide rate at 20 deaths per 100,000. Black non-Hispanic women and White non-Hispanic women had the largest decrease of suicide overall, with a decrease of six percent (-6%).
- White non-Hispanic men have the highest rate of suicide deaths, and the White non-Hispanic population overall has the highest rate of suicide deaths. Despite this, the rate of suicide amongst White non-Hispanic men decreased one percent from 2022 to 2023.
- The rate of suicide amongst Black non-Hispanic males remains similar to the previous year.
Appropriations to 988 Lifeline and other programs and services must be supported through the budget process.
The budget process is crucial to supporting the mental health of Ohioans
The report from the DOH and data from OMHAS shows that Ohio is moving in the right direction with the decrease of suicide deaths, and the 988 Lifeline is continuing important work as a crisis line for individuals. However, the state budget is a crucial piece to this work that helps continue needed programs and services helping Ohioans. Appropriations to 988 Lifeline and other programs and services must be supported through the budget process to invest in Ohio that supports behavioral health of its residents. As the budget continues through the legislature, Community Solutions will continue to provide thorough analysis on support of mental health and suicide prevention.
