May is Mental Health Awareness Month to highlight mental health education and resources through media, local events, and digital campaigns.
Mental health matters. Maintaining good mental health is a key part of a person’s overall physical and emotional health. While everyone experiences difficulties that can impact their mental health, about half of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition in their lives. Symptoms start by age 14 for most people.
While many organizations observe the month, Mental Health America started Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949 and still holds annual campaigns. This year’s theme for the organization is “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World.” The organization has materials and resources on its website to help people break down the steps of caring for their own mental well-being while navigating life’s uncertainties.
Common mental health conditions include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, dissociative disorders, eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism and ADHD/ADD, and schizophrenia.
MHA emphasizes that mental health conditions are common and can be managed with proper education and care. Many people wait years, even decades, before getting treatment – and organizations like MHA want to help people seek help sooner. “It is never too soon to seek treatment for your mental health. Getting help early saves lives,” the organization writes.
Not everyone has easy access to mental health care, though. Mental Health America offers free, quick screenings to determine whether you have symptoms of a mental health condition at mhascreening.org.
MHA also provides educational tools and coping mechanisms to help manage stress and difficult situations. Some things are outside of our control, like current events and economic factors. But some things, like screen time and loneliness, can exacerbate mental health conditions. Knowing what to watch for and manage can help people improve their own health. Advocating for yourself and your loved ones’ mental health is also important.
In addition to providing a detailed toolkit of resources, Mental Health America encourages people and organizations to wear green as part of its “Be Seen in Green” challenge. Businesses can also light up their buildings in green to help raise awareness. For more information on fundraisers and ways to participate, visit https://mhanational.org/mental-health-month.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is also providing information and resources to draw attention to Mental Health Awareness Month with its “Take the Moment” campaign. NAMI encourages people to participate on social media using the hashtags #TakeAMentalHealthMoment #MentalHealthMonth.
Even though talking about mental health has become more socially acceptable in the last several decades, the National Alliance on Mental Illness says that about 72% of people agree that people with mental health conditions still face discrimination in their everyday life.
According to NAMI, 76% of Americans say they are not content with the status of mental health treatment in the U.S., and only 53% say they are familiar with the mental health care system in the U.S.
Among the resources NAMI provides are multiple help lines, including the NAMI HelpLine and the NAMI Teen & Young Adult HelpLine.
The NAMI HelpLine is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers and the public. Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text “HelpLine” to 62640 or chat with us at nami.org/help. Available Monday Through Friday, 10 A.M. – 10 P.M., ET.
The NAMI Teen & Young Adult HelpLine offers a direct connection with another young person who shares similar experiences and is prepared to offer information, resources and support.
Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text “Friend” to 62640 or chat with us at nami.org/talktous. Available Monday Through Friday, 10 A.M. – 10 P.M., ET.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also has resources available at https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health-awareness-month/toolkit.
