DAYTON — The second of four area murals dedicated to the mission of increasing suicide awareness was unveiled Wednesday evening featuring the message, “Where Flowers Bloom, So Does Hope.”
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The mural painted by volunteers with the Montgomery County Prevention Coalition volunteers and HOPE Squad students from Northmont High School also included an embedded QR code that will direct people to mental health resources.
“As suicide numbers continue to climb in our community, we knew we needed to spread positive messages throughout Montgomery County,” Brittini Long, senior program coordinator for Montgomery County ADAMHS and project manager of the murals, said in a prepared statement.
“We are grateful to Culture Works for providing grant dollars that will allow us to paint four murals to provide hope and to help guide people to the mental health support they need,” she said. Culture Works kicked in $10,000 toward the project, which the MCPC matched.
The mural is on the side of With God’s Grace Free Store, 5505 N. Dixie Drive in Dayton, where the dedication took place.
Ceremony speakers include Montgomery County Commissioner Debbie Lieberman, Graphic Artist Gavin Amspaugh, MPCP Suicide Prevention co-chair Amber Wilson, and Long.
The MCPC is comprised of community leaders with a passion to prevent substance misuse and promote positive mental health. The mission of the coalition is to mobilize Montgomery County to prevent youth substance use and promote positive mental health through the implementation of evidence-based prevention strategies and community collaboration. The vision of the coalition is a community where every individual lives a substance-free life with optimal mental health.
According to a data snapshot from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (February 2024):
* Approximately five people die by suicide every day in Ohio (source: Household Pulse Survey, 2020-2023, compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation; Ohio Dept. of Health, 2023; Suicide Demographics and Trends, Ohio 2021)
* The rate of suicide has climbed over the past decade, both in Ohio and nationally. (In Ohio, 15 per 100,000 vs. 14.5 per 100,000 in the U.S. in 2021)
* In 2022, suicide was the No. 5 leading cause of death among working-age Ohioans (ages 15-64): 1,416 (data reported as of Sept. 5, 2023, from the Ohio Department of Health, Public Health Data Warehouse)
* Ohioans ages 25-64 remain the most likely to die by suicide, although rates have increased for all ages since 2007 (deaths per 100,000 from 2007 to 2022):
^ Ages 10-17: 2.7 deaths to 6.1
^ Ages 18-24: 12.9 to 18.6
^ Ages 25-64: 15.1 to 19.7
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, there is a number you can dial to call or text -- 9-8-8.
You can also chat with someone on the 9-8-8 lifeline.org Counselors are available 24 hours a day.
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