SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Mental health struggles are claiming more young lives in Utah than any other cause, according to experts and advocates working on the front lines of this crisis.
A recently released legislative audit has uncovered troubling trends in Utah’s mental health care system, revealing significant barriers to access for families seeking help for their children.
“The needs have escalated over the past decade in a really powerful way. Children are struggling more than we’ve ever seen them struggle,” said Dr. Douglas Goldsmith, a child psychologist with 35 years of experience.
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Goldsmith noted dramatic increases in autism diagnoses, from “two and a half births out of 10,000” in the 1980s to “one in 47 births” today. He also highlighted that anxiety and ADHD diagnoses have skyrocketed among youth.
Perhaps most alarming is the rise in suicidal ideation among children under stress.
“Suicidal thoughts has become the go-to for children as soon as they’re feeling stressed in today’s world. They say, I just want to die. We know we have to jump on that because the suicide risk is extreme. Most high school kids know someone who is actually suicided,” Goldsmith said.
State officials have implemented several initiatives to address the crisis, including SafeUT, a state-funded mobile app that connects youth directly with licensed mental health professionals.
“Before SafeUT, the option was to call the crisis line. But as we know, a 10-year-old, a 15-year-old, they’re not going to pick up the phone and call someone. They’re going to text,” said Denia-Marie Wright, a program manager at SafeUT.
The app has seen significant usage, with Wright reporting “26,000 chats” and “over a million back-and-forth messages” in the past year.
State Rep. Steve Eliason, who became focused on mental health issues after three children in his son’s school died by suicide, has sponsored legislation to create statewide mental health screenings in schools.
“While tax policy and transportation are all critical issues, saving our children’s lives rose very quickly for me to the top of the list of things to focus on,” Eliason said.
The legislative audit that prompted further investigation revealed what Eliason called “ghost providers” in insurance directories.
“They called up 180 providers in insurance directories and found out 69% of them were ghost providers, meaning they’re not accepting patients. It’s a false promise,” Eliason said.
Eliason added that the legislature is “looking at all angles” to address this issue, ensuring that insurance entities provide reliable resources that members can count on.
The representative also highlighted the impulsivity of children considering suicide. “On average, by the time a child contemplates suicide seriously to the time they attempt is less than 10 minutes, we know from the data,” he said.
Eliason noted that the proper use of trigger locks on firearms could significantly reduce youth suicide rates, as the majority of youth suicides in Utah involve parents’ guns.
Trigger locks are available for free at local hospitals, libraries, and police departments across the state, and can also be purchased locally and online.
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