Officials address behavioral health services in Knox County

MOUNT VERNON — Stigma and lack of access to behavioral health services are the most significant barriers for individuals with mental health issues in Ohio’s rural areas. Knox County is no exception.

The 2021 county Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) ranked behavioral health as the county’s top priority. Access to care ranked second.

In 2021, Knox County had a provider ratio of one psychiatrist for 12,296 residents. That is significantly lower than Ohio’s ratio of 1 to 3,297.

“Increasing awareness of and reducing stigma are two components of successfully treating mental health,” said Kathryn Spergel, executive director of Mental Health & Recovery for Licking and Knox Counties.

“Increasing access to care is another.”

Behavioral Healthcare Partners of Central Ohio is launching a mobile urgent care unit that addresses all three issues.

The need for behavioral health services

Knox Public Health conducts a Community Health Assessment (CHA) every three years. KPH uses that data to create a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) that addresses areas identified in the health assessment.

The number of adults age 19 and older who rated their mental health as not good on four or more days the previous month jumped from 28% in 2018 to 40.1% in 2021.

Additionally, 60% of respondents reported at least one poor mental health day in the previous month.

In analyzing community interviews conducted during the 2021 community health assessment, Dr. Shaun Golding’s sociology class at Kenyon College noted that in a survey of high school students, 57% reported feeling anxious more than four days a week.

“This is an incredibly high number for that age group,” the report states.

The analysis also notes that in rural areas, mental health often becomes a dual diagnosis with substance abuse.

According to the report, “It’s quite likely that people suffering from mental-health (issues) aren’t getting the proper help they need, resulting in drug use as a coping mechanism.”

In the 2021 health assessment, 8% of Knox County adults reported they had experienced thoughts of suicide in the past 30 days.

The Ohio Department of Health reports that suicide was the second-leading cause of death among Ohioans 10-34 years of age in 2021. It ranked 12th as the cause of death overall.

Knox County and the state of Ohio had the same suicide rate in 2019 (15/100,000). The county had 10 suicides in 2019, a rate of 14.7. The target rate is 12.8.

From 2020 to 2021, the number of suicide deaths increased by 8% statewide. According to the ODH, Knox County had 21 suicides in 2021, a rate of 22.8.

For the years 2017-21, the county’s rate was 15.7.

Removing barriers

Spergel said that to improve health disparities, you have to remove barriers.

“We realize through doing case assessment and in-depth community assessments theADAMH boards require us to do that access to care becomes really big for us,” she said.

“We recognize a lot of our region is very rural and services are not close. If they want to go outside of the county, transportation becomes a problem.”

Provider issues compound the access-to-care problem.

“Knox County has a lot of treatment providers, which is wonderful, but people don’t feel comfortable coming in,” Spergel said. “They’re afraid of stigma, that they’re perceived as less of a person, weak, or are a poor parent.”

“To call and make that appointment is very difficult. I can’t stress that enough.”

Kathryn Spergel, Mental Health and Recovery Board of Licking & Knox Counties

“Once they get there, there is sometimes a wait list because of a workforce shortage,” she continued. “They might get an intake appointment, but a follow-up appointment can take a long time.”

Spergel said BHP’s mobile urgent care van “takes care to people where they are on their terms.”

“It’s an opportunity to be seen and start having conversations to see someone who can be helpful.”