Mental Health Awareness Month educates about living with mental health conditions—it’s challenging but doesn’t hinder a fulfilling life.
What is Mental Health Awareness Month?
Mental Health Awareness Health America organization originally established Mental Health Awareness Month, which recognizes the month of May. It was created to educate the public about mental illness, raise awareness about research and treatments, reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, and celebrate recovery. Because of misconceptions and stigma surrounding mental health issues, people often suffer in silence and don’t seek treatment for their conditions. Mental awareness is an important initiative to improve understanding of mental health conditions and increase access to healthcare for those who need it.
What is the importance of Mental Health Awareness Month?
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 the misconceptions and stigma, and can encourage those who are suffering to seek help and find a support network.
It’s important for caregivers, friends, and loved ones to understand the impact that mental health has on daily life. When people have better education about these conditions, they can offer better support and assistance to 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 of mental health care.
Who can benefit ?
Everyone! Nearly one in five adults in the US has a mental health condition. That one person’s condition touches the lives of family, friends, and others, despite not suffering themselves. The prevalence of mental health conditions may surprise you:
- 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
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.
What can you do to raise awareness ?
There are many opportunities for fundraising, community outreach, and awareness events during Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health America (MHA), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and the National Institute of Mental Health organize events.. NAMIWalks is a national event where people come together to walk, promote awareness and raise funds. MHA provides a campaign called Tools 2 Thrive, which provides education on mental health conditions and tools and tips for people to improve their mental health. They may have their own awareness event or fundraisers as well.
If someone in your life struggles with mental health, reach out, initiate a conversation,it’s the best thing you can do. Learn about living with mental health issues, confront stigma, and avoid judgmental feelings. Just supporting those in your life can spread the message of awareness and acceptance.