Leading mental health experts in OH speak on suicide prevention at local town hall meeting

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A community town hall meeting on suicide prevention was held Thursday evening with some of the leading mental health experts in Ohio.

LeeAnne Cornyn, the director of Ohio’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. was among the 100 people gathered at Austintown’s Campus of Care for a community town hall meeting on suicide prevention.

She said Mahoning County is not unique in that suicide is a statewide issue.

“So in 2022, which is the most recent year we have statewide data for, we lost about 1,800 Ohioans to suicide, and that’s one of the highest years on record since we’ve been measuring this,” Cornyn said.

Suicides in Mahoning County increased from 41 in 2021 to 44 in 2022, then to 53 last year — and to what could be 55 before this year’s over.

“So 53 people got in the darkest place of their life to think the only way out and the only way to stop the pain is to take their lives, and that has to stop,” said Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board Director Duane Piccirilli.

Michelle Werth, who in 2007 lost her stepfather to suicide, also spoke at the meeting. Werth is now the Clinical Director for the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board.

“Sometimes if you’re struggling with feelings of hopelessness and not feeling like you can cope, you know, slow down. Give yourself one more day,” Werth said.

Some of the suicide warning signs are when someone talks about being a burden or feeling hopeless, isolated or trapped — if they withdraw or make plans for suicide.

“And it’s only going to stop if we make people aware and get the taboo of suicide gone,” Piccirili said.

Much of the evening was taken up by panel discussions that included people like Sheriff Jerry Greene and Commissioner Carol Righetti. First News reporter Gerry Ricciutti was part of a panel as well and spoke on how the media handles suicides.

Most everyone agreed just talking about suicide helps with the stigma.

“The more that we can talk about it, the more that neighbor and neighbor can come together to have these conversations, we’re breaking down that stigma,” Cornyn said.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts call the suicide prevention hotline 988. It’s free to call and available 24 hours a day seven days a week.

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