Latest news with #UtahStudentHealthandRiskPrevention
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Utah Gov. Cox wants you and your family to unplug this week. Here's why
For "Family Connection Week" from June 9 to June 15 2025, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wants Utahns to put down their screens and spend time with their families. (Stock photo by Daniel de) Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has declared this week as 'Family Connection Week' to encourage Utahns to put down their phones and 'disconnect to reconnect' with loved ones. 'Spending quality time together strengthens our bonds, fosters better communication and creates lasting memories that carry us through life's challenges,' Cox said in a prepared statement. 'This week is a chance to really listen, connect and to make sure the people around us know they are valued.' From Monday to Friday this week, Cox wants Utahns to dedicate time to 'unplug from devices and reconnect through meaningful, screen-free activities,' he office said in a news release. 'This special week encourages families to be fully present with one another to create lasting memories and stronger bonds. It's the latest way Cox has encouraged Utahns to cut back on social media. He's been an outspoken critic of the addictive nature of social media algorithms and especially their negative impacts on kids. In 2023, his office launched a public awareness campaign urging parents to learn about the harms social media can have on youth. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX That campaign announcement highlighted a 2023 survey of 609 Utahns conducted by Lighthouse Research that found Utah parents reported 76% of their children use social media in some capacity, 57% use it seven days a week, and 53% use it one to three hours a day. That survey also found 88% of Utahns said social media had a detrimental impact on children and youth. According to another study published last month, researchers at the University of California San Francisco found that as preteens used more social media, their depressive symptoms increased. Using data from nearly 12,000 kids ages 9 to 10 and then three years later at 12 and 13, the study found on average, kids' social media use rose from seven to 73 minutes per day over the three years of the study, and their depressive symptoms went up 35%. In the announcement for 'Family Connection Week,' Cox's office data from the Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey that 'supports the importance of shared time, especially mealtime.' 'Mealtimes are critical to foster communication and connection. In fact, Utah youth who sit down to eat at least one meal a week with their family are 45% less likely to report feeling depressed, 70% less likely to use vape products and 54% less likely to consider suicide,' the governor's office said, citing the SHARP survey. Social media companies applaud Utah's latest bill aimed at teen social media use 'At the same time, excessive screen time — especially on social media — can take a toll on mental health and family cohesion,' the governor's office added. 'Positive, in-person interactions lay the foundation for resilience and safety for children and adults alike. Family Connection Week encourages families to 'disconnect to reconnect' and take time to talk, laugh and connect without distractions.' In a Youtube video announcing the 'Family Connection Week' declaration, First Lady Abby Cox said their family this week will be 'making a conscious effort to put down our screens and be fully present with one another, and we invite you to do the same.' 'We are carving out time to play board games, cook meals, and participate in recreational activities together,' Abby Cox said. Encouraging Utahns to learn more about the effort, Cox's office pointed to a page on the state's website that offers a list of activities Utahns can do in their areas. The website also offers resources for parents, including stress management advice, parenting tips, child development information, and a directory for assistance programs for food, housing, access to physical and mental health care, affordable child care, utilities assistance, and more. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Department of Health and Human Services deletes mental health report on Utah's transgender children
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has quietly deleted reports tracking the mental health of transgender youth in Utah from its webpage, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. HHS did not delete reports using the same datasets to evaluate the mental health of cisgender youth who were straight, gay, bisexual, and unsure in the state. The 'Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention' (SHARP) survey asks students to answer questions about their health and well-being. In 2023, 51,890 students took the voluntary survey in grades six, eight, 10, and 12. Of those students who responded to the question asking if they were transgender, 729, or 1.4 percent, responded affirmatively, although children in grade six were not asked about their gender identity. Related: White House gender-affirming care post is full of lies The compiled datasets were evaluated and available in 'Transgender Student Profile Report[s]' on the Utah Office of Substance Use and Mental Health on February 2, but disappeared by March 4, the Tribune reports. 'Your willingness to participate has helped families and communities throughout the state in many different ways,' the SHARP website says of the survey. 'The knowledge we've gained from the SHARP survey is invaluable – because it tells us where to look for problems and solutions.' Related: Controversial Trump HHS report targets care for trans kids The data had also been deleted from the website of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), until a federal judge ordered the data to be restored online. The CDC now issues the following disclaimer on its website. 'Per a court order, HHS is required to restore this website as of 11:59 p.m. ET, February 11, 2025,' the site notes. 'Any information on this page promoting gender ideology is extremely inaccurate and disconnected from the immutable biological reality that there are two sexes, male and female. The Trump Administration rejects gender ideology and condemns the harms it causes to children, by promoting their chemical and surgical mutilation, and to women, by depriving them of their dignity, safety, well-being, and opportunities. This page does not reflect biological reality and therefore the Administration and this Department rejects it.' Related: HHS launches 'whistleblower' portal targeting trans kids The compiled data showed warning signs for transgender children, with roughly 60 percent saying they had contemplated death by suicide in the previous year, while nearly 25 percent reported they had attempted to die by suicide. Ilan Meyer, a distinguished senior scholar at the Williams Institute at UCLA, which studies gender and sexual identity issues and policies, cautioned that the climate for the well-being and mental health of transgender children will not get better by denying their existence. Related: Trump administration to defund suicide hotline for LGBTQ+ youth starting in October 'Whatever it is that LGBT youth are going through is continuing, and just not knowing something doesn't really address the underlying problem,' Meyer, of the Williams Institute, told the Tribune. 'By not knowing, you're not going to be able to address it at all. And maybe that's the point.' If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at or text START to 678678.
