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BATAVIA, OH (Sept. 3, 2019) — As Clermont County prepares for its annual Suicide Awareness Day Candlelight Vigil on Sept. 10 and Stand Up to Suicide training (details on both below), we face some stark — and perhaps startling — realities:

• Middle-age white men (ages 45-64) complete suicide more than any other age group, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. White males accounted for seven in 10 suicide deaths in 2017.
• Suicide rates for women 45-64 increased nearly 60 percent between 2000 and 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For men that age, the rate increased about 37 percent.
• In 2017, Clermont County adults ages 45-54 had the highest rate of suicide, followed by those 85 and older.
• Clermont County had the state’s 16^th-highest suicide rate, 2008-1017, according to the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Public Health. During that period, 310 people took their own lives, or nearly 16 per 100,000, representing 11,161 years of lost life. Just under half died from firearms.

“The data also revealed a troubling reality unfolding across Appalachian Ohio, which is home to nine of Ohio’s 10 counties with the highest suicide rates per 100,000 population over the past 10 years,” states the Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions. “…White individuals who reside in economically distressed Appalachian communities continue to exhibit the highest suicide rate in Ohio.”

Recent top-selling books such as Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance and Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones detail social trends leading to increasing suicide and addiction rates in the region. White males without a college degree may see themselves as having a less promising future than previous generations. They find low prospects for a good job, one with a ladder up.

Dr. Lee Ann Watson, Associate Director of the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board, noted that there were 31 suicides in Clermont County in 2018, with 42 percent of those deaths occurring in those ages 50-59.  She cites untreated mental health concerns, substance misuse, isolation and financial and relationship problems as leading factors.

“Lack of hope and social isolation is a breeding ground for this tragedy,” Watson said. “We’re just beginning to address the aftermath of the opioid crisis in our county. There’s a very high correlation between substance misuse and suicide.”

Watson added that an increase in suicides among middle aged men in Clermont County reflects a national trend. Males are less likely to seek professional help for mental health concerns. They also use firearms more frequently in suicide attempts than women, who more often try less-effective poisoning in attempts to take their lives.

Watson urges people to call Clermont County’s around-the-clock crisis hotline at 528-SAVE if they feel suicidal. Help is a phone call away.

“Seeking help is a sign of strength,” she said. “If you are alarmed, go with your instincts and seek professional help. Reaching out to a friend you are troubled about is also a sign of strength.”

Be aware of these warning signs from the National Institute of Mental Health:

• Talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill oneself
• Making a plan or looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online
• Buying a gun, or stockpiling pills
• Feeling empty, hopeless, or feeling like there is no reason to live
• Feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing from family or friends or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings
• Saying good-bye to loved ones, putting affairs in order

18^th annual Candlelight Vigil, Sept. 10
The Clermont County Suicide Prevention Coalition will join with the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention this year for the 18^th annual Candlelight Vigil honoring loved ones lost to suicides. The vigil will be held on Sept. 10, 2019, National Suicide Awareness Day, at 7 p.m. at Riverside Park, 425 Victor Stier Drive, Milford.  For more information, please contact Lee Ann Watson at 732-5400.

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Stand Up to Suicide, throughout September
Also, in September, Clermont County will join 14 counties across Ohio to Stand Up to Suicide. Communities are coming together to train the most people possible in the suicide prevention tactics of Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR). In 90 minutes, QPR training will equip you with the skills to recognize and intervene when someone is showing signs of a suicidal crisis. 

Anyone wishing to have their group or organization trained can take these simple steps:

• Visit standuptosuicide.org to register.
• Check the box indicating interest in hosting a QPR training, finding one that’s scheduled in their area, or taking the training online
• Submit the form

-QPR Training Scheduled at Child Focus, Inc. Training Center:

QPR Suicide Prevention Program  Tuesday, September 10, 2019  2:00pm to 4:00pm

QPR Suicide Prevention Program Monday, September 16 , 2019 6:00pm to 8:00pm

-Saturday, Sept. 28, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Miami Township Civic Center 6101 Meijer Drive, Milford, Oh 45150.  248-3727 to register.

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