Ohio ranked as one of the "most depressed" states in U.S.

In a new report released today, Mental Health America says Ohio is one of the "most depressed" states in the country. (Source: press release, Nov. 29, 2007.) The report examined state and national data on mental health status and suicide rates and found that South Dakota leads the nation with the best depression status while Utah ranked last. Ohio came in at number 43. (Source: Ranking America's Mental Health: An Analysis of Depression Across the States.)

To determine the measures of depression and mental health status across the different states, the report's authors examined the percentage of adult and adolescent populations experiencing at least one major depressive episode in the past year, the percentage of the adult population experiencing serious psychological distress, and the average number of days per month in which the population reported that their mental health was not good. The report also examines suicide rates across the country, with Ohio ranking in the middle at number 22.