SOAR Study now enrolling in southeast Ohio

JACKSON — On Sept. 6, Holzer Health System and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the next phase of the SOAR Study. This research initiative seeks to identify the root causes of the ongoing epidemic of persistent emotional distress, suicide and drug overdose.

Inspired by the pioneering longitudinal Framingham Heart Study, this first-of-its kind study will examine the root causes of not only mental illness and addiction but also resilience and mental wellness.

The State of Ohio Adversity and Resilience Study (SOAR) features government, academia and the private sector working together in this innovative mental health research effort. The study will involve 1,200 multi- generational families across Ohio’s 88 counties.

The statewide research project is funded by an initial $20 million grant from The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS). SOAR will study Ohioans in their local communities, using an integrated “bring science to the people” approach.

The SOAR Mobile MRI unit now based at Holzer Medical Center — Jackson, 50 Burlington Rd., Jackson, is enrolling study participants ages 12 and up from Southeast Ohio, including Athens, Gallia, Meigs and Jackson counties.

The SOAR Study will investigate social, environmental, psychological, trauma-related, genetic, and biological factors that lead to — or protect from — the development of persistent distress, mental illness, substance use, overdose and suicide.

For information or to register for the study, visit https://soarstudies.org/ .