Intermountain Health held it’s third “Strongest Play is Asking For Help” mental health panel series, which featured current and former NFL players in Las Vegas during the week of the Super Bowl.

Together with community partners and collaborators, including, The Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, The Defensive Line, NAMI, Ford-Gaudin, and Find Your Anchor, Intermountain’s event aimed to bring the community together to address the stigma around mental health and when to ask for help.

The panel took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in front of various city and community leaders and Clark County School District youth.

The panel was moderated by Chris Thomas, co-founder and CEO of The Defensive Line Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes awareness of youth suicide, which Intermountain Health CEO and President Rob Allen, in attendance, called “an epidemic.” According to NAMI, 1 in 6 U.S. youth (aged 6-17) experience a mental health disorder each year, and suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14.

Chris Thomas, along with his wife Martha and son Solomon, created The Defensive Line organization after their daughter and sister, Ella died by suicide. Through their motto of “Turning Pain into Purpose,” members of the Defensive Line strive to raise more awareness on suicide and mental health, advocating for more conversations around the subjects to increase treatment and self-care.

The player messages aligned with themes of honesty and empowerment. Raiders running back Brandon Bolden admitted he hid his cancer diagnosis because he feared public shame. New York Jets defensive tackle Solomon Thomas acknowledging how he misunderstood what it meant to be masculine.

“As a man, to be an example of true strength is vulnerability, being authentic in your emotions, even in your worst times, and telling people that because then people can know that they're not alone, that certain feelings are okay,” Solomon said.

Each player shared personal accounts of their struggles with mental health and how they found the courage to share their fears and be open. Solomon’s hope, especially for the kids at the panel, was that they remember the strongest play is asking for help. “There are resources out there. There are people out there,” he said. “Ask for help and not stuff your feelings away. Honor your emotions, love yourself, and be confident in that. I think that's huge, but also to understand you're not alone, that it's okay not to be okay.”

Among the youth in attendance was senior Luca Feng, events coordinator for the Coronado High School Hope Squad and member of the Hope Squad National Council. Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer intervention organization designed to prevent teen suicide. His biggest takeaway from the panel was listening to these high-profile athletes admit their own struggles and what that can mean for others struggling to be honest about their feelings.

“We look at these NFL players and people on a bigger spotlight thinking they have everything together,” Luca said. “We're leading into a misconception these people are perfect and they don't have any mental health issues. Just hearing these things happen to everyone, and they've gone through these issues like us, that makes me comfortable there's someone else that has been through what we all go through; just knowing there's someone else there like us.”

Luca said he feels this experience can help his Hope Squad better train other members. “I think when we're training each other, we're all sitting in a room, listening to one person, so it feels more like a lecture, like we're just sitting in another class at school,” he said. “I don't think we're getting the full effect of just being personable. I think splitting off into smaller groups or doing something like a panel with students and having Q&A allows us to be authentic. Hope Squad doesn't mean that we're immune from mental health. The main thing I want to bring back is knowing it's okay they can feel a certain way.”

Like Solomon, LaTeisha Morgan, Intermountain Care Management Manager says starting the conversation is the first step and the biggest. “Getting the word out there to the youth is important because when we start there, and they see that it's okay for us as adults to say, ‘Hey, we need help’, that brings everyone in and gets everyone involved at all levels,” she said. “So just really getting the word out there and letting our community know we're here to help and that we are a part of this community because we're better together and we want people to live their healthiest lives possible.”

Mental health among children and adults is a top health concern across Intermountain Health and one of seven critical health concerns cited in Intermountain Health’s recently published first Community Health Needs Assessment for southern Nevada. This report details critical health needs among the Las Vegas populations; the socio-economic factors that contribute to those obstacles; and how Intermountain Health can utilize the necessary resources to improve them.

Across all areas, Intermountain aims to improve mental well-being, improve chronic and avoidable health outcomes, and invest in and address the social determinants of health.