COUNTY NEWS: Health department tracking mental health data

WOOSTER  The Wayne County Health Department will begin publishing trend data related to mental health.

The department will begin publishing monthly trend data for overdoses as reported by emergency rooms, overdose deaths, mental health ER visits, youth mental health ER visits and suicide deaths on their website, www.wayne‐health.org, according to a news release.

The trend data tracks these indicators monthly and compares them to the same month from 2015 to current.

As COVID‐19 has lasted through the summer and into the fall and as cases continue to rise, some other health consequences have emerged. It has been well documented that there are concerns with peoples’ mental health as COVID‐ 19 continues, the news release states.

“While we are focused on the pandemic, we also need to stay aware and make the community aware of some the latent impacts of COVID‐19, especially its impact on mental health in our community,” according to Health Commissioner Nicholas Cascarelli in the news release.  “We are not trending in good way on most of these indicators. Seeking help is not a weakness. We need to eliminate any stigma associated with that.”

Wayne County has services and agencies willing to help Wayne County residents through mental health crises.

Wayne County residents should contact their healthcare provider or they can call the Crisis Hotline at (330) 264‐9029.