SALT LAKE CITY — In light of Youth Mental Health Awareness Month, local advocates and youths gathered Tuesday at the Utah State Capitol to explore problems and solutions focused on mental health in the state.
“Some of the biggest things we heard from the community was feeling like as many resources as there are, a lot of families don’t know they exist,” Kaden Mattinson, the executive director of the organization Mending Minds Village. “So, that creates a big problem.”
Around 80 attendees took their concerns to legislators during the event, hosted by the School Mental Health Collaborative and Mending Minds Village.
FOX 13 News spoke with 17-year-old Mac Martin, one of the teenagers who gave a speech during the event.
“I’ve always felt very deeply. Every emotion I feel is there,” said Martin, a junior at Mountain Heights Academy. “And it’s not going away.”
Martin said she can empathize with just about anyone. Since she can remember, she has struggled with her mental health.
“It started getting bad when I was around nine years old, depression-wise. I’ve struggled with anxiety and paranoia my entire life,” she said.
Research shows that 1 in 5 Utah children experience a mental health disorder each year. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Utah youth ages 10-17, so Martin wants to be a part of a solution.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved in this community or start a nonprofit,” she said during the event. “Seeing these things and people giving me active steps on how I can be more involved is really inspiring.”
Martin is breaking barriers with the people around her, including her parents, Thayne and Brooke Martin.
“Mac didn’t want to open up to us at first, but we continued to ask questions, let her know that we’re there to support her,” Brooke said.
Martin hopes to break more barriers for a brighter future.
“It’s easier for me to understand other people’s situations than it may be for others,” Martin said. “So, I want to use the way my brain is wired to help people, and I will continue to do so for the rest of my life.”
