Utah’s Eye-Opening Mental Health Rates And Why

Utah may seem to have a sunny disposition but unfortunately when it comes to mental health issues, the state is always above average.  

With the coming of May, Mental Health Awareness Month, it is a good time for Utahns to check in with themselves, their friends and their family members. Though the month is meant to be a way to bring awareness to the severity and commonality of mental health issues, Utahns still seem to be doing worse.  

A study combining the years 2020-2022 showed just how bad Utah’s depression rates were.  

Utah’s rate of depression was 26.1% in 2022 which is significantly higher than the U.S. average in 2022 of 21.4%.  

Read More Here: Utah's Depression Ranking Is One The Worst In U.S.

In 2023, the Kaiser Family Foundation did a study on depression or anxiety in Utahns. Compared to the U.S., Utah is still above average. The report found that 33.3% of Utahns had feelings of depression or anxiety compared the U.S. that averaged 32.3%.  

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Doctors in Utah play a major role in helping someone diagnose being depressed. However, the Public Health Based Information System showed that doctors of certain groups of people are not diagnosing it in Utah.  

Groups Of People in Utah Not Getting Diagnosed with Depression  

• Utah adults ages 25 and older with a college degree 
• Households with income of more than $75,000 
• Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islanders 
• TriCounty, Wasatch and Summit County residents 

This is not to say that these groups are completely free of mental health issues, however, they have less doctor diagnosed cases of depression according to the study.  

Despite Utah's above average rate of depression and anxiety, the state does offer programs that are meant to help. The Office of Substance Use and Mental Health has grants to assist in funding programs and training.  

However, it still seems taboo in some workplaces and groups to even talk about mental health. There is no shame in needing or getting help. Reach out to the 988 hotline for any assistance or support you may need.