Utah’s mother asks parents to talk to their teens about mental health

SALT LAKE CITY: It’s no secret that this pandemic has affected our mental health. But how is this impact on children?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number of children and adolescents seeking help for anxiety and depression is increasing across the country. The study found that mental health-related emergency visits increased 31% last year.

The Vega family said their 14-year-old daughter is now part of that statistic trying to end her life two weeks ago.

Family in crisis

“If someone you love tries to take your life, you want to fail. And you question everything you did. Like, ‘Did I do too much?’ Haven’t I done enough? “And it’s scary to be open about it,” Mother Brandy Vega said.

The family said that when they first noticed a change in their daughter’s personality, they thought she had become a “teenager”.

“She was very funny and extravagant, she was nice and creative. You know, in the last two years she’s become a more introverted person,” Vega said.

Two years ago, they realized that behavioral changes were not just part of growing up when at just 12 years old he first attempted suicide.

“It was a complete shock. I mean he’s 12 years old,” Vega said. “It was just a complete shock.”

The family received help and their daughter began therapy. Her older sister, Adia Vega, even took her on weekly dates with sisters.

“We were just talking, and she was talking to me about school and talking to me about her friends and I thought I was getting better,” she said.

It seemed to work. Then the pandemic hit and the family said it affected the teen’s mental health.

“It was heartbreaking for her because she needs to be around people. She doesn’t learn well online,” Brandy Vega said. “She’s like, ‘I need to go to school, I have to have this.'”

Vega said staying behind in school was incredibly hard for his daughter and by the end of February, his 14-year-old was back in crisis.

That night, she was taken to the hospital. Their last battle is getting follow-up treatment, which they knew was hard to come by.

“The mental health crisis for teens and young people is going through the rooftop. You can’t get a counselor. They’re not taking new patients. They’re all overflowing. Treatment facilities are overflowing,” Vega said.

Nationwide image of adolescent mental health

The Vega family is not alone. The CDC found that children ages 5 to 11 seeking emergency mental health care in 2020 increased 24% from 2019. For children ages 12 to 17, those visits increased 31 percent.

Utah experienced a similar increase in the use of mental health resources. Fortunately, this did not translate into an increase in the number of suicides.

“During the pandemic, our teenager [suicide] the numbers didn’t go up, ”said Michael Staley, suicide coordinator for the Utah Office of Forensic Medicine.

Last year’s figures are not complete, but during the first nine months of 2020 there were 28 suicides in Utahns between the ages of 10 and 17. Staley said that number is likely to match what the state has seen over the past three years for this age group: 42 in 2017 and 40 in both 2018 and 2019.

“The Utahns seem to be quite resilient at least so far. We are still in the middle of the pandemic, but Utahns have made it and our suicide numbers have not increased,” he said.

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Don’t be afraid to hold this conversation.

–Michael Staley, Suicide Investigation Coordinator at the Utah Office of the Forensic Physician

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Calls to the Suicide Prevention CrisisLine in Utah increased during the first ten months of 2020.

“It’s hard to know if this increase was due to the pandemic or is part of regular growth,” Staley said.

Regardless, Staley said now is the time to talk to our teens about suicide, although it may seem like a difficult conversation.

“Don’t be afraid to hold this conversation. You can always ask the question, ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’ Do you think that you might want to end your own life? Will you kill yourself? “Asking the question doesn’t raise any ideas, it won’t introduce something they don’t know,” he said.

Have the courage to hold tough conversations

Keeping these conversations so tough is what the Vega family is pushing to do to other people after their own experience.

“Sometimes kids want us to ask them the hardest questions. They don’t want to come and tell us, but they’re willing to be honest if we ask them,” Vega said.

They hope that by sharing their story, others will realize that they are not alone and that there are steps you can take right now to help your children.

“Our job as parents is to protect our children. And that’s one of the biggest threats they face,” Vega said. “If you’re not willing to give this talk, you may not have a chance.”

Vega’s daughter is currently in a hospital to receive care.

If you or a loved one is having problems, help is available. The Utah Department of Health points to three mental health resources:

• The Suicide Prevention Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• The free Safe UT app
• www.liveonutah.org, where parents can find step-by-step instructions on how to start the conversation with their children

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