Cleveland Clinic Targets Ohio Youth Mental Health Crisis with New Research Push

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Clinic, Ohio's largest mental health provider, announced the launch of the Mental Health Research Center of Excellence on Sept. 17, 2025, in partnership with the MQ Foundation and MQ Mental Health Research. Supported by a $1 million grant from the MQ Foundation and additional Cleveland Clinic funding, the five-year program targets prevention and early intervention for youth mental health conditions, including depression, suicidal behaviors and mood disorders. Researchers will explore the neurological basis of hopelessness in individuals ages 14 to 24, evaluating the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) to reduce risks and improve outcomes.

The initiative addresses Ohio's deepening mental health challenges, where preliminary data from the state-funded SOAR Study — launched in January 2024 by Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center — shows 39% of residents reporting loneliness and 49% experiencing moderate or higher distress. Funded by a $20 million grant from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, SOAR surveyed over 16,000 Ohioans across all 88 counties and conducted MRI brain scans on 1,200 families in rural, suburban and urban areas. Key risk factors identified include sleep problems, childhood abuse, economic insecurity, poor coping skills and limited access to care — issues hitting rural Ohio hardest.

Cleveland Clinic's broader efforts amplify the impact. As the state's top mental health provider, it operates comprehensive psychiatry and psychology programs across Northeast Ohio, including specialized Hispanic Behavioral Health Services on its main campus offering psychiatric evaluations, therapy and pharmacotherapy for adults 18 and older. Through the Unite Ohio network with MetroHealth, caregivers refer patients to over 160 organizations and 252 programs for mental health support, housing, food and benefits navigation, tackling social determinants in underserved areas. With pediatric mental health emergency visits surging over 45% in five years, these steps signal a coordinated statewide response.