suicide prevention

The stress of owning a dairy fell on Mitch Hancock’s shoulders overnight after his father-in-law died by suicide in 2014. “We carry the burden to make sure that we can take care of all of those around us like we always have,” he said, “even in times of low milk prices.”

Health

Utah farmers signed up for federally funded therapy. Then the money stopped

Farmers are dying by suicide at the third-highest rate by vocation in Utah. But after a federal program offering mental health support ran out of money, the state did not continue it.

FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, file photo, a person uses a smart phone in Chicago. A new analysis suggests that increased social media use could be one factor contributing to a rise in teen suicide. (AP Photo)

Education

If Utah bans cell phones in schools it could cut students off from SafeUT, too

Martha Harris

The Legislature is working on a statewide cell phone ban, but one lawmaker is worried what the blanket policy would mean for SafeUT, the state's successful crisis intervention and tip line.

Multicultural Counseling Center Executive Director Karla Arroyo speaks at the launch of the “Live On Spanish Playbook” to help prevent suicide in Utah’s Spanish-speaking communities, Oct. 10, 2023.

KUER En Español

Guía de prevención del suicidio de Utah ahora se ofrece en español

Sean Higgins

El objetivo es romper las barreras culturales y de idioma alrededor de la salud mental y emocional.

Race, Religion & Social Justice

Utah’s suicide prevention playbook is now offered in Spanish

Sean Higgins

The aim is to break down language and cultural barriers around mental and emotional health.

Kat, 14, holds their stuffed bunny named Nyx over their face at their old home in Utah. The bunny is in the same colors as the transgender pride flag. Kat and their family left Utah after the state banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

Politics & Government

This family says Utah’s transgender care ban left them no choice but to ‘get out’

Saige Miller

In a year that saw polarized policymaking around transgender Americans, MPR News and KUER teamed up to tell the story of how gender-affirming care bans and care shields are affecting access in Minnesota and Utah.

Health

Brittany Tichenor-Cox wants to grow ‘Izzy’s Village’ into a safe space for everyone

Curtis Booker

The latest Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count found that 13% of children in Utah experience anxiety or depression.

FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2019, file photo, a woman checks her phone in Orem, Utah.

Health

CDC data shows why lawmakers are worried about the mental health of Utah’s youth

Martha Harris

The experience of Utah teenagers is in line with new national data from the CDC, though Utah’s lawmakers are focusing on social media as a root cause.

Health

988 is getting more calls in Utah, but the lifeline’s shorter number may not be what’s at play

Martha Harris

While some states have seen dramatic increases in calls, Utah has seen more “manageable and gradual volume increases that are in line with historical averages,” said one community crisis director.

Health

The 988 mental health hotline, an idea with Utah roots, is set to roll out nationally

Kristine Weller

Although Congress passed the 988 bill only two years ago, Utah has been working on improving mental health care and suicide prevention for nearly a decade.