Inside Voices: Utah ranks 50th in the nation for mental health care. Funding cuts are making it even worse

Utah placed 50th in the nation for unmet mental health needs in 2024. That’s dead last, folks — but what does that mean for Utahns?

Far from an abstraction, Christina Pappas and Anna Lieber see what that statistic means every day at Westminster University’s free counseling clinic.

As funding faces growing uncertainty due to existential threats (government shutdowns/Medicaid cuts), community mental health providers are losing grants and resources. The Westminster clinic is internally funded, but their clients hit walls everywhere else.

“Mental health care cannot be separated from basic human needs,” they write. “When someone is unsure where their next meal is coming from or whether they will have a place to sleep, they are already stretched thin, emotionally and psychologically.”

Their clinic offers free therapy and has seen positive results — but demand far outpaces capacity, and funding cuts are closing doors faster than clinics can open them.

Read why they say accessible mental health care isn’t just compassionate, it’s lifesaving.

And let me know: Have you or someone you know lost access to health care? Tell us about the impact…

— Sam Morse, Newsletter Editor

Utah Voices

Utah has exceeded the resources available to sustain our population

“Speeches are made, policies are established, and the Legislature votes on things, thinking they are addressing the problem,” writes Richard Evans, of Midvale. “One cannot vote land and water into existence. I don’t know how much population Utah can actually sustain. But I am quite sure we have long since exceeded that population.”

Nothing good can be achieved by resuming nuclear weapons testing

“I am often shocked by President Trump’s comments, but the notion of the U.S. resuming nuclear weapons testing was completely startling,” writes Michelle Stuart, of Salt Lake City. “There’s no military rationale for resuming this nuclear testing. However, there is often no rationale for what Trump does. Plainly stated: It’s a bad plan for the current reckless, incompetent administration to consider that our nuclear arsenal doesn’t work. This simply sends the message about doubting our nuclear capability and causes uncertainty with our adversaries.”

Cox is participating in the Trump hunger games

“Gov. Cox has joined the blame game of insisting that the Democratic Party is to blame for the shutdown of the government, a government of a Republican president, Republican Congress and Republican Supreme Court. Gov. Cox is participating in the Trump hunger games, pitting the people struggling to retain their health insurance against the people struggling to feed their family,” writes Patricia Nelson, of West Jordan. “The Republican Congress is withholding the emergency funding for SNAP benefits that is meant to fill in when the government is in shut down, so no one goes hungry.”

That a political party with odious policies can triumph is clear. But will we really let that happen in America?

“How can a political party that uses tear gas, pepper spray and pepper ball projectiles on the voters win?” asks Logan resident Charles Ashurst. “How can a political party that only represents a tiny minority of wealthy super-citizens win? How can a party that deliberately scuttles a clean energy bonanza in favor of more expensive bills and more pollution win? How can a political party that is just fine with extrajudicial killings, aka murders, win?”

Share Your Perspective

Recently we reported that Salt Lake County is proposing to increase taxes by nearly 20%. In the ensuing weeks, they’ve cut childcare centers, and most recently, a senior center.

Many county residents aren’t happy about the simultaneous proposed tax increase while seeing community services cut, equating it to paying more and getting less.

That said, we’re curious: Do you support these cuts? How will the loss of these community resources impact your family and budget?

From Bagley’s Desk

Drop Us a Note

We’re always looking for fresh perspectives, ideas and solutions that’ll move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop us a note at voices@sltrib.com.