COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Almost 25% of adults in Ohio struggle with mental health issues, according to a new report from Mental Health America.
“You know we like to think that we are self-made, we got it all figured out, but none of us can do it alone,” said Shamia Hobbs, a mother from Columbus.
When it comes to taking care of her mental health, Hobbs said it’s a struggle she goes through every day.
“I really struggled a lot with postpartum and it was very, very difficult for me,” she said.
Hobbs has bipolar disorder and says she never would’ve been able to pull through most days if it weren’t for her family.
Nearly 25% of Ohio adults also reported experiencing mental health issues, according to a report by Mental Health America. The report shows Ohio’s mental health was declining before the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, 63% of the state’s youth with major depressive episodes didn’t receive treatment, while just more than 6% of Ohio adults reported serious thoughts of suicide.
“It’s not something that people choose, it’s not something that they have power over in terms of, ‘I can just make myself feel better if I’m depressed,’” said Kenton Beachy, executive director of the Ohio affiliate of Mental Health America. “It’s actually a biological disorder.”
Since 2019, Ohio slid from 11th to 25th in the nation’s mental health rankings.
“We need to do much better in getting mental health services to youth with major depressive disorder, and also reaching adults with serious thoughts of suicide,” Beachy said.
One of the ways Mental Health America doing that is through a maternal mental health program called POEM, which helps women like Hobbs, who experience depression during or after pregnancy.
The program utilizes peer-based learning and support groups.
“They have been right with me from the beginning, and I have just been so grateful for them because they’ve instilled in me the things that I feel like I’ve been fighting for, and now I see the beauty in it, and I just really want to get well so I can help so many other people,” Hobbs said.
If you or a loved one is also in need help, you can visit a list of these mental health resources:
ADAMH of Franklin County
Mental Health America of Ohio
