Advocates for mental health say Utah policymakers need to consider the important role schools can and should play in keeping at-risk students safe and learning.
Studies show many Utah children go without mental health services, even though the need for them is growing. About half of youths ages 12 to 17 who have depression are not receiving treatment.
Angela Kimball, chief advocacy officer for the mental health advocacy group Inseparable, said kids learning about mental-health skills is just as important as their history, math and reading lessons.
"Schools can help promote resilience and skills - like getting along with others, healthy coping skills, making responsible choices," she said. "All of those things can help mitigate against mental health challenges later on. But the other thing that schools can do is provide early interventions and support."
She cited an analysis that finds students receiving school-based services are six times more likely to complete a full course of treatment, gain important mental health literacy and life skills, and do better in school than those who depend only on community-based services.
Kimball said many factors contribute to a lack of services, including cost, transportation issues, lack of providers, insurance barriers and stigma. Educators have said it's a major concern, as poor mental health can interfere with a child's ability to learn.
"There were growing mental health needs amongst youth prior to the pandemic," she said, "but one of the things we know about the pandemic is that isolation really exacerbated mental-health challenges amongst youth, and we're still seeing the effects today."
Kimball said school-based services improve access to care, and thinks one of Utah's goals should be to lower the ratio of school-based psychologists and social workers to students in the schools. A 2022 report found it is much higher than recommended levels.
"We are starting to see some improvements in student mental health, but the need is still very, very high," she said. "So, we can't let our foot off the pedal now. We really need to do everything we can to build the workforce and to make sure students are supported."
