Healthy Mind Matters is a new collaboration between Intermountain Healthcare, SelectHealth and KSL Broadcast Group that addresses the emotional concerns of Utah’s communities. The new Healthy Mind Matters radio show started this month and airs every Sunday from 11 a.m. on KSL Radio. The topics will focus on emotional wellness, anxiety, depression, suicide, opioids and other addictions through messages of hope and help for families.

What is EveryDay Strong?

Bill Holterstrom, President and CEO of United Way of Utah County
“EveryDay Strong is really trying to bring the entire community together around to an issue that seems that’s affecting so many of our children today. It’s a component where we know we certainly would need more resources, more counselors. We know we can do more work on aligning resources and we are trying to do work in both of those. But the third element that we really are trying to focus on also is engaging the natural support system, the natural caring system in the community. Which is engaging parents, teachers, ecclesiastical leaders, neighbors in how do we really help strengthen our children today.”

How should we look at emotional concerns of others?

Matt Swenson, MD, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Intermountain’s Utah Valley Psychiatry
“Interestingly that is first question I always get. If I was to summarize everything that I do and all the conversations that I have into three questions, I would say I most often get asked some variation on ‘What’s causing this?’ Some variation on ‘Is this a problem?’ Parents are looking at something going on with their kids saying ‘should I be worried about this?’ Then lastly, ‘What can I do about it?’”

“That first question is not as helpful. A lot of people reflexively go to causation. They look at somebody whose struggling with anxiety or depression and, I think naturally, they want to know how did we get here and what’s happening. I just don’t think it’s very useful.”

“So what we are trying to train people to do is to take away that reflex to find out what’s going on and just look at somebody, a human being, and their basic needs.”

All of the Healthy Mind Matters shows can be found on KSL’s Podcasts website.

Healthy Mind Matters Segments

These Tips Will Help You Respond to Your Child's Emotions – What are the connections that kids have to social media and friends – and how to help them feel connected and safe.

Build Resilience In Your Children – Advice for helping your kid’s emotional concerns.

Don’t “Interrogate” Your Children, Do This Instead – Conversation on how to help a child’s needs rather than questioning them.

This Is a Parent’s Greatest Tool. Hint: It’s Not That You’re Always Right – Listening goes much further than reflective advice.