SALT LAKE CITY Marking a year since COVID-19 was declared a worldwide emergency, Utah health experts are warning of what one called a second pandemic within that pandemic.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has likely not been fully realized yet, but studies are already showing concerning trends, including increases of anxiety, depression and substance abuse in the state and nationwide, local mental health experts said in a virtual news conference hosted by the University of Utah s Huntsman Mental Health Institute. A year ago today, we began to go into a circumstance that we ve never had before in our lifetimes, Dr. Mark Rapaport, CEO of the Huntsman Mental Institute, said Thursday.
KUER Opponents of Utah’s planned inland port have started a petition calling on the governor to veto this year s inland port bill. This story and more in Thursday evening s news brief.
Thursday evening, March 11, 2021
State
Gov. Spencer Cox Reflects On Year Defined By COVID-19
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox reflected on the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic during a press conference Thursday. He said March 11 marks the day when COVID-19 became real for many Utahns. That’s when Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus, followed shortly by his teammate Donovan Mitchell. Utah wouldn’t implement a statewide mask mandate until eight months later in November. Now, that’s set to end next month. State health officials reported 646 new cases Thursday. Utah also surpassed 2,000 deaths related to COVID-19. Read the full story.
How COVID-19 impacted legislative action on health care laws this year
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Hope Clinic physician assistant Matt Pierce, left, examines patient Luis Hualinga at the clinic in Midvale on Jan. 6, 2021. After a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Utah legislative leaders this session took measures to allow more mental health and medical providers to respond to the health care shortage.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY After a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Utah legislative leaders this session took measures to allow more mental health and medical providers to respond to the health care shortage.
Residents’ emotional distress level has increased during the pandemic due to various situational and life stressors including concern about job loss, physical health and social isolation. Many also need to “wear multiple hats” as their kids’ schools moved to remote learning, according to Rachel Lucynski, a director with Huntsman Mental Health Institute cris
Deseret News
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In this Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, file photo, Meghan Markle, then Duchess of Sussex, launches the Smart Works capsule collection at John Lewis in Oxford Street. Her recent interview with Oprah Winfrey on CBS touched on issues of depression and suicide.
Mark Large, Associated Press
After Meghan Markle sent shock waves across the globe Sunday night as she revealed her struggles with suicide ideation, mental health experts in Utah say her story could reduce stigma to an issue faced by so many.
As she joined the British royal family, tabloids began targeting Markle the former actress from the U.S. who married Prince Harry with racist, sexist headlines. The media attacks hurt her friends and family and sent her into depression, she recalled.
SALT LAKE CITY After Meghan Markle sent shock waves across the globe Sunday night as she revealed her struggles with suicide ideation, mental health experts in Utah say her story could reduce stigma to an issue faced by so many.
As she joined the British royal family, tabloids began targeting Markle the former actress from the U.S. who married Prince Harry with racist, sexist headlines. The media attacks hurt her friends and family and sent her into depression, she recalled.
Markle said she felt the hateful articles would end if she no longer existed. I knew if I didn t say it, that I would do it. I just didn t want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening, constant thought, Markle told Oprah Winfrey during the bombshell interview on CBS.