With the number of Americans diagnosed with mental health conditions on the rise, Intermountain Healthcare announced Tuesday that its local hospitals have donated over $600,000 to nonprofits supporting behavioral health this year.

Intermountain American Fork Hospital, Orem Community Hospital, Spanish Fork Hospital and Utah Valley Hospital have all contributed money to support initiatives relating to behavioral health needs, social determinants of health, education scholarships and healthcare screenings for underserved populations.

“We know how our mental well-being plays a role in our physical health,” Kyle Hansen, Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital administrator, said in a press release. “More than ever, attention to behavioral health needs to keep growing.”

IHC recently completed a three-year pilot study as part of the Alliance for the Determinants of Health on addressing the social determinants of health, including food insecurity, transportation and housing issues.

According to the Alliance for the Determinants of Health website, these non-medical determinants of health are thought to account for 60% of all health outcomes. The results of this study are currently being independently researched.

IHC has developed a relationship with, and contributed to, the United Way of Utah County’s EveryDay Strong program, which was designed to be a new approach to anxiety and depression in children and young adults.

EveryDay Strong provides resources for parents or other adults to guide children through mental health difficulties by helping them to feel safe, connected, and confident.

“We are incredibly grateful for Intermountain Healthcare’s support of children and youth in our community who are struggling. Through their support, we can equip parents and teachers with resources to help our youth become more resilient,” Bill Hulterstrom, United Way of Utah County President and CEO, said in a press release.

By focusing on emotional struggles like sadness, stress and anxiety, lack of focus, worry and despair, EveryDay Strong can enable adults to intervene in a child’s life before these issues become severe.

“We see young people struggling with mental health challenges in our facilities almost daily. EveryDay Strong provides vital resources to parents, teachers, and other adults working to strengthen the youth in our communities,” Jason Wilson, Intermountain American Fork Hospital administrator, said in a press release.

Utah County IHC hospitals have also donated to the following local organizations this year:

• Association for Utah Community Health
• Brigham Young University
• Mountainland Technical College
• Utah Domestic Violence Coalition (which supports Healing Pathways and The Refuge)
• Utah Valley University
• Wasatch Mental Health

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