COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and advocates say it’s a time to shine a light on available resources and that it’s okay to ask for help.
The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation said mental health affects all kinds of people, and the problem can be invisible.
“There is hope and there is help,” said Molly Mottram, vice president of the Ohio Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
She said May is a time to have important conversations about mental health.
“I think what’s really important is mental health. Mental health can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender, background,” Mottram said. “And by taking a month, a whole month, to have these really important conversations, we can kind of break down the stigma and the barriers around mental health, because there’s still a lot of stigma. Because it is related.”
Mottram said an average of five people die by suicide in Ohio every day.
OSPF has people across the state train others how to identify warning signs. She said their goal is to connect people who are struggling with the services that best help their needs.
She said the most convenient option is the suicide call and text message hotline 988.
“They’re 988 trained counselors who can help you with any situation, even if you’re just having a bad day and need someone to talk to. People are here to help.’ The other line is the kind of talk that gets you through that bad day,” Mottram said.
She said that at the end of 2023, Ohio’s hotline was receiving 10,000 to 12,000 calls and text messages each month.
“So that means people are using the hotline,” Mottram said. “This means people know that although there are resources available, there is still work to be done. We are here to help. And that this, after all, will work. There’s hope. And we just want people to know there’s light at the end of the tunnel. And May is a great month to highlight these important conversations.”
From 2020 to 2022, more than 17,000 people in Ohio were trained to recognize the signs of suicidal thoughts and how to best respond, according to OSPF.
If you or someone you know is in trouble, you can call or text 988. You can also call OSPF at 614-429-1528 to be connected to more resources.
