Suicide Prevention

Ohio & National Prevention Resources

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
– Online chat
– Espanol: Ayuda En Español 1-888-628-9454
– For Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Hearing Loss 1-800-499-4889
– First Responders
• Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation 1-614-429-1528
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Ohio
• Depression and Suicide Resource Guide … Columbus Recovery Center

Gun Violence & Mental Health

Individuals with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence, including suicide, than to inflict violence on others. You can download OCAGV’s brochure with information on how to protect and prevent a loved one from committing suicide here – and click on this page to learn more on current facts and statistics related to suicide and guns.

Reports continue to show that a significant number of gun suicide victims are current or former members of the U.S. military. An issue brief created by the Center for American Progress and released in March 2022 addresses this issue. Contained within this brief are risk factors and circumstances related to the military, along with policy recommendations.

According to Mental Health America (MHA), “suicide deaths are typically impulsive acts and are the number one cause of firearm related mortality in the U.S.”
“Firearm deaths associated with mental illness are nearly always suicides,” an MHA fact sheet states, adding that “the vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent.”
The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (EFSGV) offers a fact sheet and helpful information on preventing firearm suicide in times of a pandemic: Firearm Suicide and COVID-19, and about Suicide as a Public Health Crisis.

Higher numbers of Americans (over 263,000) are experiencing depression and anxiety since the start of COVID-19, MHA reports. The organization offers an online screening tool to help track the impact of COVID on an individual’s mental health.

Ohio Suicide Numbers

The Ohio Department of Health updates suicide deaths in Ohio regularly through a Preliminary Data Summary. Preliminary data indicate a decrease in Ohio suicides in 2020 compared to the several previous years. However, guns continue to be the primary mechanism used to commit suicide for both men and women.