The Utah Teen Mental Health Support Hub

Zoe K, Julia I, Elizabeth S, Triniti S & Alexa W.
Jan 23
6 min read

Mental health is just as precious as our physical health. More and more teens are struggling with mental health and they don’t know where to get access to the resources they need. In this blog, we will discuss free mental health resources Utah has and how to access them. It’s important for teens to have the proper resources and know they aren’t alone, so we’re here to help provide some of that for you!

Cultural/Sociological Features of Utah

In Utah, the population of teenagers in 2023, under the age of 19 was roughly 1,040,825

(MarchofDimes, n.d.). Here are the percentages of the different races /ethnic groups of youth in Utah:

● White - 70.3%

● Hispanic - 20.3%

● Asian/Pacific Islander - 3.3%

● Black - 1.3%

● American Indian/Alaska Native - 0.8%

● (MarchofDimes, n.d.)

Mental health has been a large issue across the United States. Although these issues have been around for quite some time, there has been a lot of focus on finding solutions to better teens mental health such as therapy and medical treatments (University of Utah, 2019).

Salt Lake Valley, Utah, has a mix of people from many different backgrounds such as refugees,immigrants, LGBTQ+, and people from different religious groups such as LDS Church, Muslims and Catholics (University of Utah, 2019). Although there is a lot of diversity, each group handles mental health in their own ways. Culture factors shape how mental health issues show in each group, recovery, and what their beliefs are on healing (University of Utah, 2019).

Mental health can be a struggle for teens depending on their cultural background. Some teens may struggle with feelings of isolation and feeling like their family may not understand what they are going through mentally (University of Utah, 2019).

When it comes to social factors that affect mental health in Utah, there are many health habits that can affect teens' mental state. There has been a strong relationship between screen time and lack of sleep which can cause thoughts of suicide and/or substance use (Jenny Johnson, 2023). 34% of youth in Utah get 8 or more hours of sleep on an average school night. Nearly 80% of youth spend 2 or more hours per weekday on social media and devices such as Xbox, Youtube, Instagram, etc (Jenny Johnson, 2023). Increased screen time can lead to social isolation, causing mental health problems in teens to worsen (Jenny Johnson, 2023)

What Does the Utah Government Offer?

The official Utah Government website of Health and Human Services provides free mental

health services through their HealthyMinds program.

This is a program that can be extremely helpful for teenagers for a few reasons:

It's accessible! The resources provided through the HealthyMinds website are free for all users, and easy to navigate to find exactly what you are looking for.
It’s confidential! The website does not require any personal information to be given. This is especially important for teens to ensure internet safety and protection of personal information. Any personal information you choose to share via optional surveys is simply used for HealthyMinds to understand the demographic of who they are helping.
It’s educational! The information provided on HealthyMinds is easy to understand, specific to the problems you’re facing, and evidence based. The questionnaires are based in research, and used as a diagnostic tool by psychologists.
It’s a starting point! While the information on HealthyMinds cannot be used to diagnose, it can be a great starting point in beginning to feel better. You can find specific information depending on your specific symptoms in order for you to start feeling better. These resources can help you begin to understand your symptoms, coping strategies to use for your symptoms, and even additional resources and connections available.

What do the services on this website include?

24/7 Utah Crisis Hotline (Call 988 for support).
Questionnaires specific to symptoms you are experiences.
General questionnaires for when you don’t quite know exactly what’s wrong.
Additional information, resources, and connections depending on the results of your questionnaires.

How to access Helplines in Utah

To access the Utah Youth Helpline, you can call 988 or reach out to the Utah Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255. Both of these services are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. These programs will guide you to a healthcare provider who will further assist you. These programs will offer you immediate attention where they could talk to you, providing emotional support and care for the time being. (University of Utah, 2024). The best part about them is that they are free and available for anyone!

The SafeUT Website & App

Another great resource for mental health support in Utah is the SafeUT website, where you can also download an app version. This is like a crisis line, but in message form.

Who can use it?

Utah students enrolled in participating school districts (100% of Utah High Schools and Middle schools) can access the SafeUT app for free!

How does messaging work?

SafeUT allows users to message licensed counselors when in any crisis. Whether you’re stressed about school work, having a fight with a friend, or struggling with your mental health overall, you will be able to chat one on one with someone who can help. You do not have to share anything you do not feel comfortable with, but be aware things you share may not be completely confidential. Disclosing things such as harming yourself, harming others, abuse, neglect, maltreatment, etc., could be reported to higher authorities.

LGBTQ+ Resources

For LGBTQ+ individuals in Utah facing mental health challenges, the Utah LGBTQ+ Chambers Safezone resources page serves as a vital hub, connecting users to a comprehensive list of support services. This resource list includes many organizations that are LGBTQ+ owned or friendly, allowing those seeking help to feel supported and validated.

A couple organizations that are featured on this site include, but are not limited to:

Encircle: Offers therapy and peer support for LGBTQ+ youth and families.
The Trevor Project: Offers crisis intervention and suicide prevention services, specifically for LGBTQ+ youth.

All these resources are easily accessible and completely free – providing you many outlets to

explore based on your personal needs, without having to worry about your orientation during the process. Everyone deserves support, so it is crucial that those often facing stigma have access to a safe and reliable website, granting them stability and peace of mind during times of a crisis.

Why We Love These Resources

Zoe: The Utah Youth Helpline is a great resource for all teens searching for help! I love this

resource because it is easily accessible and all the information shared is kept confidential. The Utah Youth Helpline works to help better children and teens mental and emotional health. This resource is also FREE, making it available to anyone in need! Overall, the Utah Youth Helpline is a wonderful resource for those needing to talk, and seek help in a private and cost-effective way!

Julia: The HealthyMinds website is a great resource to help you get started. I personally love this resource because it offers such a wide variety of options to suit almost every

need, whether big or small. I also believe that the questionnaire section is extremely useful to help individuals determine the severity of their condition, as it then allows them to access the appropriate help they need – especially when they are unsure where to begin themselves. Its free and all the links provided are official and reliable, making your search a breeze.

Alexa: I think the Utah Helpline is a great service for teens who are struggling. I love this

resource because teens have access to it 24/7/365 no matter the time of day. Someone is there to talk to teens whenever they need it. To make this resource even better it’s FREE, so everyone has access to it. Finally, I love this resource because the person on the phone not only talks to the teens, but could provide them with support to access the resources that they need.

Closing

At last, there might be some bumps along the way in the system, but it’s important to educate yourself and look at some of these resources. If we bring more awareness to youth mental health it will continue to help many of the upcoming generations as well. Our blog focuses on Utah, but even if you are somewhere else in the world, let this blog give you the confidence to see what your state or town has to offer. Most importantly, you aren’t alone and you have many people in your corner supporting you.

Call-to-Action

If you or someone you know are in need of help please reach out to someone, there are resources available for you! Take a look at the resources in your local area. If you aren’t comfortable reaching out to someone you know personally, please reach out to someone on the hotline, there are people who want to help! If you’re looking for more information we recommend looking at the other blogs written by our classmates to see if there’s other things that may apply to you. Most importantly, stay strong and just know you aren’t alone!