(The Daily Dish) Rebecca Dutson, President and CEO of The Children’s Center of Utah joined Surae today to talk about National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day on May 7th!

Mental Health Awareness Month is about breaking the stigma that unfortunately still exists in 2022 around the topic of mental health, from children’s mental health to adults.

According to a study commissioned by The Children’s Center of Utah and conducted by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, based on a range of estimates from national studies, 10‒20% of Utah’s 458,000 children between the ages of 0‒8 could experience mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral challenges.

Between March and October 2020, the percentage of emergency department visits for children with mental health emergencies rose by 24 percent for children ages 5-11 and 31 percent for children ages 12-17. Mental Health Awareness Month helps us shine a light on an issue that is more prevalent now than ever. There are many ways people can help end the stigma around children’s mental health.

Here are 5 ways to help end the Mental Health Stigma:

• Educate yourself and your children about Mental Health.
• Share real-life examples of people with mental health disorders.
• Explain mental health has a range of symptoms.
• Listen to and support others with Mental Health Concerns.
• Share stories of overcoming mental health disorders.

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration created National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day more than a decade ago to shine a national spotlight on the importance of caring for every child’s mental health and to reinforce the message that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development.

Falling right in line with The Children’s Center of Utah’s mission, the purpose of the awareness day is to increase public awareness about the needs of children with serious mental illness and severe emotional disturbance and their families, provide information on evidence-based practices, and encourage those who need help to seek treatment.

To raise local awareness, in partnership with The Children’s Center Utah, Utah Governor Spencer Cox declared May 7, 2022 Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day in Utah.

You can find more resources on how to participate in Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day here.