Mahoning commissioners hear about mental health issues

POLAND — Several years ago, Help Hotline Crisis Center Inc. received on average four calls per month from people who were suicidal.

During the last two years, however, that figure has jumped to about 17 a day.

That alarming figure not only points to the need for the 24-hour-a-day crisis line, but attests to the value of mental-health services in the county, Ronald Marian told county commissioners during their meeting here tonight.

May is Mental Health Month in Ohio.

Marian, executive director of the Mahoning County Mental Health Board, noted that one of the highest rates of suicide occurs in men age 42 to 50, largely because of job losses, high stress, depression and other upheavals. The rate also is high in adolescents, he continued.

For the complete story, read Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com