Ohio sees decrease in deaths by suicide for the first time in three years

By Kennedy Chase

PUBLISHED 5:00 PM ET Feb. 02, 2025

Editor’s Note: If you know anyone who may be living with suicidal thoughts or behaviors call the Ohio suicide and crisis hotline at 988.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — David Rife knows firsthand how it feels to lose a loved one to suicide. 


What You Need To Know

According to the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio deaths by suicide dropped to 1,777 in 2023, that’s 20 fewer than 2022

David Rife, a survivor of suicide loss, said this decrease is the beginning of a lot more work that needs to be done

The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation’s job is to help as many people as they can because everyone matters 


“I lost my son in 2019,” he said. “He was 33 years old, was just a very outgoing individual. People would just tell you, had a smile that would light up a room.”

His son Matthew struggled with bipolar disorder and died by suicide six years ago, but he believes what happened to his son could have been prevented if society was more open to mental health discussions.

“In our society, if somebody comes up and says that they have cancer or heart disease, as a society, we lean in, we want to cure this. We want to help these individuals. If somebody walks up and says that they have bipolar disorder, as a society, we tend to lean away,” Rife said.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio deaths by suicide dropped to 1,777 in 2023. That’s 20 fewer than 2022. That may seem like a small number but knowing the deaths have decreased even a little bit, Rife believes this a huge step in the right direction. 

“It means that the hard work and energy and effort that has been put into breaking the stigma around mental illness is starting to take effect,” Rife said.

But he knows there’s a lot more work to be done.

“On the other hand, those numbers are still families that have lost somebody,” Rife said. “Those are lives that are gone.”

That’s where the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation comes in. Executive Director Tony Coder said this decrease is just the beginning of what they’re trying to accomplish.

“Every time that we go down in suicides as a celebration for us,” Coder said. “That doesn’t mean that we’re done.”

Coder, too, knows how it feels to have a loved one living with suicidal thoughts or behaviors. 

“My son had a suicide attempt back in 2008,” he said. “It was something that we never, ever expected.”

That firsthand experience fuels him and his team to try and help as many people as they can. And they do so by collaborating with different groups across the state.

“We work with over 25 African American groups. Never been done. We’re actually being highlighted by the federal government in our work for African American communities,” Coder said. “We work with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. We know that folks, especially those middle-aged folks, are working.”

All this work doesn’t go unnoticed, and Rife is one of the thousands of families who appreciates what the foundation does every day. 

“I would say to anybody out there who is in crisis or thinks that they have a family member in crisis or is unfortunately the survivor of loss, reach out, because there are so many programs out there that can help,” Rife said.

https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/climate/news/2025/02/02/suicide-decrease-mental-health-