OHIO — A statewide study focused on investigating Ohio’s “ongoing epidemic of persistent emotional distress, suicide, and drug overdose” was announced Friday by Gov. Mike DeWine and The Ohio State University, according to a press release.
The SOAR study, which is receiving a $20 million grant from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), is being led by staff at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine but will also work with other universities in the state, according to the release.
“Ohio must be the model in helping our citizens overcome or adapt to mental health challenges so that they improve mental and physical health, complete an education, attain a good-paying job, support a family, and contribute to our communities,” DeWine said in the release. “We envision that the SOAR Study will jump-start future efforts to learn more about what Ohioans can do to better manage adversity and develop resilience."
The president of Ohio State, Walter “Ted” Carter Jr., thanked DeWine and Ohio for this investment.
“This is a milestone research endeavor and the investment demonstrates Ohio’s strong commitment to mobilizing expertise across the state to improve life for some of our most vulnerable residents," he said in the release. "As a public, land-grant university, Ohio State will always have a duty to seek new ways to better meet the mental health needs of Ohioans. Innovative collaborations like this between the university and the state are among the reasons I chose to come to lead a place like Ohio State.”
The release notes that — in the last decade — Ohio has seen an increase in mental illness alongside suicide and drug overdose deaths. This was only made worse by the pandemic, the release claims.
“SOAR will study Ohioans in their local communities, using an integrated ‘bring science to the people’ approach,” the release, which came from DeWine’s office, states. “It will create a statewide medical research and development ecosystem to drive continued advances in mental health and substance use prevention science and treatment interventions.”
LeAnne Cornyn, the director of OhioMHAS, said this study can help future generations when it comes to risk factors, mitigation strategies and building resiliency. She said it “has the potential to curb disease and save lives.”
“This study is another example of how, under Governor DeWine’s leadership, Ohio is positioning itself as a national leader in mental health research and innovation,” Cornyn said.
One of the two projects with the study is called the SOAR Wellness Discovery Survey, in which researchers will work with "as many as" 15,000 people across all state counties to “uncover how strengths and skills may be related to overcoming adversity.” The release states 300,000 postcards related to this project have already been mailed to Ohio residents.
The other project is known as the SOAR Brain Health Study, which will focus on Ohio families to “examine the biological, psychological, and social factors that help explain that relationship, such as who does well with adversity, who does not, and why.”
John Warner, the chief executive officer at the Wexner Medical Center, said this study only builds on their mission.
“Mental health care is health care, and this study will help us inform prevention and treatment strategies to advance patient-centered care and influence the way we train our future care providers,” he said in the release.