SALT LAKE CITY — Utah officials launched a statewide campaign encouraging parents to have deeper conversations with their kids.
The "CHAT" campaign, launched by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, comes after the Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey showed that students' mental health is improving and fewer students are using drugs and alcohol, though officials say more work continues.
The campaign, part of Gov. Spencer Cox's efforts to improve youth behavioral health, provides parents with tools and strategies to build stronger connections with their kids through meaningful dialogue. "Parents think they're interacting a lot with their kids, but our Sharp Survey shows a lot of kids, specifically 10th graders, feel like they have a lot of people around them but not a lot with them. So, there's a sense of loneliness," Aimee Winder Newton, Director of the Utah Office of Families, said.
For Eustolia Cordova, meaningful communication with her children required overcoming language barriers. After moving from Mexico to Utah in 2009, she struggled to connect with her three children, who spoke primarily English. "The biggest struggle I think is the cultural part," Cordova said.
And that communication gap became clear to her years ago. "Oh, I can't communicate with my own daughter," Cordova said. "I need to do something about this."
Determined to bridge that gap, Cordova says she learned English specifically to deepen her relationship with her children. "It was difficult at first," Cordova said.
Newton said studies show one family dinner per week can reduce a child's likelihood of depression by 45 percent, to vape by 70 percent, and to consider suicide by 54 percent.
The campaign emphasizes having quality conversations with your kids. "That can be conversations about how they're feeling, how things are going with their friends, how they're feeling about school," Newton said. "Make time one-on-one with your children every day, make sure that it's meaningful connection, good eye contact where your devices are put away. Repeat back what the child's told you so they know you're really listening."
The "CHAT" campaign runs through April and includes resources available online to help families strengthen communication and trust. According to DHHS, the goal by 2029 is to see a 10 percent increase in Utah teens, grades 9 through 12, who report having at least three positive childhood experiences.
"We need to find ways to connect with them even when we think differently," Cordova said.
