(This article is about suicide. If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.)
By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Suicide is responsible for an average 16 deaths a year in Wood County. Firearms account for 65% of those deaths.
In February, the Wood County Board of Health asked health department staff to gather data on suicides in the county. On Thursday, that information was presented by Tyler Briggs, head of the epidemiology division at the health department.
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in Wood County and is responsible for an average of 16 deaths per year, Briggs reported. Many more consider or take steps to end their lives. Young adults were at the highest risk, followed by youths between 10-18. Men account for over 70% of suicide deaths in Wood County. The main method of suicide is by gunshot.
Briggs also reported on mental health information gathered during the Wood County Community Health Assessment in 2021. That data showed:
- 12% of adults reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row, 3% contemplated suicide, and 3% attempted suicide.
- 10% of adults who looked for a mental health program could not find one.
- 3% of adults didn’t get care because of long delays to get an appointment.
“Some of these percentages seem small, but they really aren’t,” Briggs said, putting those numbers in perspective.
For example, that means about 16,000 local residents reported feeling depression for an extended period of time, 500 attempted suicide, and about 13,000 couldn’t find mental health services.
“It’s truly a topic that needs to be addressed,” Briggs said.
Board members agreed.
“We can’t be taking this lightly,” D.J. Mears said. “We’ve got to keep talking about this. We need to reach people on the brink.”
Dr. Tom Milbrodt voiced concerns about the number of cases involving firearms.
“I think it’s much more impactful that it’s local data,” he said.
Dallas Ziegler shared incidences of suicide involving distant family and acquaintances, adding that most people have been touched by losing someone to suicide. He talked about the importance of families keeping guns and medications secured.
When reviewing all the local data, Briggs said he could find no correlation between typical stressors like unemployment or poverty to suicide.
“That tells us that mental health issues and suicide is a risk for everyone,” he said.
In addition to using data from the community health assessment and county vital statistics, Briggs said he also made some “cold calls” to facilities providing mental health services locally.
It was not uncommon to be told that the wait time for therapy is six months, Briggs said. And many health insurance coverage doesn’t help with the costs of telehealth mental health visits, he added.
Briggs’ report reinforced the recent efforts by the Wood County Health Department to build on its behavioral health services, health board member Bob Midden said. The department is in the process of trying to hire a psychiatrist for its community health center.
Brock Lough, the newly hired interim CEO for the community health center, said all patients at the center are screened for suicide ideation. One dental patient recently was set up with a behavioral health appointment. And the center’s behavioral health branch no longer requires individuals to become patients for other services.
“We are treating the whole person,” Lough said.
“It’s shocking and sad,” Lough said about the suicide statistics. But he added that the health department is on the right track expanding its mental health services.
“We really are looking to expand our services to fill this need,” he said.
Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Robison ensured that this report will be shared with other services in the county that provide mental health care for children and adults.
“Thanks to the board for raising this issue,” Robison said.
Here are some other facts presented to the board of health Thursday evening:
- The number of Wood County people who were treated annually after attempting suicide or talking about suicide grew from fewer than 300 in 2015, to more than 700 in 2023.
- Wood County suicide deaths have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 9 in 2020, followed by 20 in both 2021 and 2022, and 14 in 2023.
- Individuals aged 20-24 are the most identified age group for suicide ideation followed closely by those 10-19.
- Females make up 55% of suicide ideation healthcare visits in Wood County.
- Since 2019, males account for 73% of suicides in Wood County, until 2023 when suicides were equal in numbers for males and females.
- When individual race incidence is considered, non-white individuals have a disproportionate rate of suicide and suicidal ideation.
- Drug related suicidal ideation encounters have increased since 2015.
- From 2019-2023, Wood County suicides are most often committed by firearms, with guns accounting for 65% of suicides, followed by 24% by suffocation, 5% by overdose, and 5% by other trauma.
- Overdoses included the use of anxiety medication, opioids and insulin. All the suicides by overdose were females.
- Eighty percent of the firearm suicides were males.
Suicide death data included in this report is based off of county of residence. Reports provided by Wood County Vital Stats include suicides based on county of death.
Suicide prevention is complex and requires a comprehensive approach. Some evidence-based methods of prevention include:
- Mental health education to understand and identify the signs of distress, involving Question Persuade and Refer (QPR).
- Access to mental health care by reducing barriers like cost, cultural sensitivity, and staff capacity.
- Restricting access to lethal means such as firearms and medications.
- Community-based intervention programs and support networks.
- Follow-up and aftercare for individuals who survive a suicide attempt, with immediate Wood County Health Center behavioral health consult and scheduling.
Resources:
• Unison Crisis Stabilization Unit: 419-352-4624
• Suicide Prevention Hotline:text 4HOPE to 741741
• National Suicide Hotline: 988
• Wood County Crisis Line: 419-502-4673 (HOPE)
• Children’s Resource Center (18 and younger): 419-352-7588
• Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 Press 1 or text 838255
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ): text START to 678678
• Harbor Connection Center: 419-354-4200
• Wood County Suicide Prevention Coalition
