LORAIN, Ohio — It’s not an easy topic to discuss, but Lorain County is initiating conversations about suicide prevention.
This week, the Lorain County Suicide Prevention Coalition hosted a community forum on awareness, connection and action after a recent uptick in suicide deaths in the county.
“That was our initial call to action was when we started to see a short-term spike. What can we do to make sure people get what they need?” said Rebecca Jones, the chairperson for the Lorain County Suicide Coalition and the Child and Adolescent Services and director for the Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services (MHARS) Board.
In November, the Lorain County Coroner’s Office alerted Lorain County Public Health about the early data. During a presentation at the meeting, LCPH said the county has consistently seen around 50 suicide deaths annually in recent years. The unofficial total for 2025 was about 10% higher.
“We need to find a way to let people know what’s going on in the community. And bringing them to a forum like this today is a great opportunity to just get that information out there,” said Daniel Bennett, the director of Statewide Prevention and Expansion for the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.
He said suicide is a complex issue, and the data does not immediately indicate a cause for the rise in deaths, though he pointed to recent stress over financial challenges, current events and political division as possible compounding factors.
Bennett said it is clear that suicide-related deaths tend to have a large impact.
“When we see somebody die by suicide, there’s really that ripple effect where more than 100 people, I think the number is 135 people on average, are affected,” he said.
The meeting discussed data and highlighted prevention strategies already underway, including some that News 5 has previously covered.
In October, we told you about the grand opening of a new 24-hour crisis center in the county.
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Advocates said the crisis center has already become a valuable asset for addiction recovery and mental health care.
Over the holidays, News 5 also highlighted a campaign displaying the 988 Crisis and Suicide Lifeline on coasters at dozens of bars and restaurants.
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Jones said the campaign appears to have generated awareness and conversation about the 24/7 hotline. She said the county saw at least 500 more calls in December 2025 than the same timeframe in the previous year, with a spike after the distribution of the bar coasters.
Jones also pointed to the standing-room-only turnout at Thursday’s meeting as evidence that the community is invested in solutions.
“The more folks who come in and join to do the work, the better off we’ll all be,” she said.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
