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SALT LAKE CITY - Utah teenagers have experienced a significant increase in mental health concerns and a significant reduction in substance abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report.
The findings, released by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and the Utah Education Board on Tuesday, come from a 2021 prevention needs assessment survey conducted by a random sample of sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th graders. The survey is conducted in odd-numbered calendar years with parental consent.
The survey includes questions about chronic health conditions, physical activity and safety issues. The results help educators, parents, and public health officials identify trends or identify areas for improvement to keep them informed of policy decisions or actions.
“Without this data, we would not be able to identify trends in risky behavior or assess the success of programs that increase protective factors,” said Michael Friedrichs, deputy state epidemiologist at the Utah Ministry of Health, in a statement.
Some of the trends identified by health officials were expected and continued to worsen over the years. Among these trends is a reduction in physical activity, with only 16.8% of students meeting the recommendations; increase in obesity, with 10.3% of students reporting being obese; and a growing percentage of students with mental health problems.
Mental health among adolescents is a persistent problem in Utah, and suicide is the leading cause of death among children aged 10 to 17. Although health officials did not expect this trend, the sudden increase in mental health concerns from 2019 is worrying.
According to the report:
- 18.6% of students reported self-harm; 19% of students seriously considered suicide; 14.4% of students made a suicide plan; and 7.0% of students committed one or more suicide attempts.
- 35.1% of students stated that they feel sad or hopeless - which is a significant increase compared to the data from 2019 (30.7%).
- 27.1% of students reported psychological stress.
Although the increase is staggering, Friedrichs noted that the metrics of suicidal ideas and plans were consistent between the years.
“We have seen, indeed, equalization in the last four or five years. So, I would like to believe that the programs we have in schools - SafeUT application, KPR (Institute) and other programs such as Hope Square, Trevor project - that the types of programs we have made available have some effect and prevent children from progressing from depression and anxiety to the point of taking their own lives, “said Friedrichs.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in mental health concerns for both adolescents and adults. The American general surgeon issued advice regarding the crisis of mental health of young people, which was aggravated by the pandemic of 2021. The research revealed that adolescents from Utah are especially fighting against COVID-19.
Impacts of COVID-19, according to the report, include:
- 29% of Utah students reported having COVID-19 or having symptoms of the virus.
- 36.7% of Utah students said they felt anxious, sad or hopeless in the past year because of COVID-19. Female students (48.5%) were significantly more likely to report these feelings than male students (23.3%).
- 39.4% of Utah students reported difficulties in using the online learning platform used by their schools during the online teaching period.
- 80.7% of students stated that they did not stay focused while doing online school work.
- 32.4% of students did not have a quiet space to use when doing online school work.
The pandemic is exposed to the feeling of isolation that society has been struggling with for a long time, said Friedrichs.
“We live in a society that is more and more isolated and more and more connected through computers, instead of actually being with each other and exchanging experiences. And that’s why I think we’ve seen an increase in adolescent mental health long before the pandemic, “said Friedrichs. “We are becoming so disconnected that the ability to actually establish meaningful connections with other people is so important not only for adolescents but for all of our mental health.
Fortunately, the pandemic has enabled increased connectivity among some. According to the report, 57.9% of students ate regularly with their families. Regular family ties could be a factor in other trends identified in the report.
“The real surprise we found was the sudden drop in most addictive substances,” said Friedrichs.
Substance use - including binge drinking, alcohol use, cigarette smoking and marijuana use - has been reduced in 2021, the report said. The data also showed a significant reduction in the use of vape products from 2019, by 12.4%, but vape products remain the most common source of nicotine addiction among Utah students.
“We never know what really caused it. But we know, for example, underage tobacco use or underage drinking, that children often get substances from their peers at school. If they weren’t in school, they might have had less access to them. “things,” said Friedrichs. “And more time at home with families can be a protective factor that prevented children from starting.”
The Utah Adolescent Report for 2021 also includes comparisons over time, by local health district, grade and gender. Graphs and tables show the percentage of Utah students affected by various health problems and where the problems are concentrated in the state. To read the full report, visit health.utah.gov.