Skyline High School prioritizes mental health through resilience 

SALT LAKE CITY — As the weekend approached at Skyline High School, numerous athletic teams practiced. Cheers echo through the dance room.

"Keep it up!" a member of the La Nichées drill team yells. "We've got this! We're ready."

The energy is positively catching. And as the dancers practice their technique, the compliments and encouragement continue.

"That was a beautiful aerial," one team member cheers as another dancer flips and lands gracefully.

This type of connection and support follows the Skyline drill team onto the football field as they perform under bright lights.

Mental health professionals have expressed worry about the times when the spotlight fades. September is Suicide Prevention Month. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services released its 2026 suicide research results: Suicides in Utah far outnumber the national average.

The national average of youth suicide, in recent years, was 41% lower than Utah's rate.

"My first year here at Skyline High School, we had multiple deaths by suicide," Dr. Victoria Hatton, Skyline High School's psychologist, said. "This community had suffered because of suicide deaths for many years. So many felt broken."

While many high schools have a part-time mental health professional on campus a few days a week, Skyline High School saw the need to hire a full-time psychologist.

The Skyline High School Community Council agreed to use Trustland Money to cover the remaining funds needed for that position.

While at Brigham Young University, Dr. Victoria Hatton studied a teacher's role in suicide prevention.

"It's a hard line of research, and it's a hard battle to fight," Hatton said. "Every day, high school poses another identity threat, another opportunity to ask: Who am I? Many teens attach their worth to their sport, their grades or their placement on a team. Loss and grief are common emotions for high schoolers."

Hatton works one-on-one with students, helping them discover tools to train their minds to find resilience while balancing integrity.

"Every day, I walk with kids through wretched pain," Hatton said. "I show students how to navigate the Safe UT app."

The Safe UT app is a discreet and effective way to connect with a licensed mental health professional within 30 seconds of logging in. It's a 24/7 service.

"We want kids reporting. We want them to say, 'I am worried about my friend.' We want to normalize looking out for each other," Hatton said.

And it's working.

Skyline High School hasn't experienced a suicide in nearly a decade. Teachers reported emotional wellness is up, and students are handling stress better.

Under Hatton's guidance, the school motto has become RISE: resilience, integrity, support, excellence.

"RISE has been a needed answer for us. Students recognize their resilience and how to support one another," Hatton said.

Mental health professionals have noted Skyline High School's emphasis on resilience is remarkable given staggering state statistics.

According to the Utah Youth Suicide Research Project, nearly 80% of youth who died by suicide experienced some form of child maltreatment. The study showed 45.4% experienced physical abuse, and 74.1% experienced emotional abuse, like being ridiculed by a caregiver or suffering neglect.

Educators are encouraged to guide students to normalize and use resources like Safe UT and 988.

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