Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental Health Awareness Month
What is Mental Health Awareness Month?
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it was established in 1949 by the Mental Health America organization to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and to celebrate recovery from mental illness. Across the country, individuals and organizations step up to raise awareness of and help address the challenges faced by people living with mental health conditions. Recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month provides the opportunity to highlight the vital role mental health plays in a person’s overall health and well-being.
Why is Mental Health Awareness Important?
Mental Health Awareness Month helps people recognize the ways mental illness impacts their lives, educates people about available services, and highlights ways to advocate—even if they don't have a mental illness.
Recognition and education are important ways to remove the stigma associated with mental illness. Mental Health Awareness Month creates a time and space to start a conversation. Talking openly about mental health can reduce misconceptions and stigma, as well as encourage those who are suffering to seek help and find a support network.
Awareness is important for caregivers, friends, and loved ones to understand the impact that mental health has on daily life. When people are better educated on these conditions, they can better support and help someone dealing with a mental health issue.
Mental Health Awareness Month also provides an opportunity for fundraising, outreach, and awareness events. This, in turn, can help support research, fund treatment options, and connect advocates to create a brighter, more promising future for mental health care.
Who can benefit from Mental Health Awareness Month?
Everyone! Nearly one in five adults in the US has a mental health condition. However, that one person has family, friends, and others whose lives are touched by their condition, even if they don't themselves suffer from one. You might be surprised by the prevalence of mental health conditions in adults in the US:
48 million have an anxiety disorder
21 million have major depression
9 million have post-traumatic stress disorder
7 million have bipolar disorder
3.5 million have borderline personality disorder
3 million have obsessive-compulsive disorder
1.5 million have schizophrenia
Mental Health Awareness Month helps those with a condition overcome the stigma and get access to treatment. It helps their friends, family, and loved ones better understand their condition and connect with support networks. It helps the providers who treat those with a condition receive funding for their research and treatment so they can better care for all our mental health. In short, we can all benefit from Mental Health Awareness Month
A Note on Stigma
Stigma in mental illness happens when someone has an unfair attitude or belief about a person with mental health challenges. Mental health stigma can happen when someone stereotypes or labels a person with mental health challenges based on their symptoms or illness.
People with mental illness may face stigma. They may be viewed in a negative way, treated differently, and made to feel ashamed or embarrassed about their mental illness. Stigma can also lead to discrimination at work, in school, or in a social context, and this can make mental illness worse.
Stigma happens from a lack of understanding of mental illness through ignorance and misinformation.
Stigma in Mental Health can be reduced when awareness is raised.
Where Can I Find Mental Health Resources?
Mental Health Awareness can provide an opportunity for us to understand what may be negatively impacting our mental health and the steps to take to begin improving our mental health.
Here are some free resources to lean on if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis:
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a 24/7 treatment referral and information service.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers 24/7, confidential support for people in distress.
The Trevor Project provides 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ+ young people.
FindTreatment.gov helps people seek treatment for mental and substance use disorders.
National Institute of Mental Health outlines additional mental health services.