Mental Health Awareness Month (also referred to as "Mental Health Month") has been observed in May in the United States since 1949. The month is observed with media, local events, and film screenings.
Mental Health Awareness Month began in the United States in 1949 and was started by the
Mental Health America
Clifford Whittingham Beers (March 30, 1876 – July 9, 1943) was the founder of the American mental hygiene movement.
Biography
Beers was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Ida and Robert Beers on March 30, 1876. He was one of five children, al ...
(MHA) organization (then known as the National Association for Mental Health). Each year in mid-March Mental Health America releases a ''toolkit of materials'' to guide preparation for outreach activities during Mental Health Awareness Month. During the month of May, MHA, its affiliates, and other organizations interested in mental health conduct a number of activities which are based on a different theme each year.
Themes from recent years include:
The purpose of Mental Health Awareness Month is to raise awareness and educate the public about: mental illnesses, such as the 18.1% of Americans who suffer from
depression,
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...
, and
bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
; the realities of living with these conditions; and strategies for attaining mental health and wellness. It also aims to draw attention to
suicide, which can be precipitated by some mental illnesses. Additionally, Mental Health Awareness Month strives to reduce the stigma (negative attitudes and misconceptions) that surrounds mental illnesses. The month came about by presidential proclamation.
Mental Health America is not the only organization to run campaigns throughout May. Many other similar organizations choose to host awareness observances that coincide with Mental Health Awareness month. National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is one such campaign. This event is sponsored by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; pronounced ) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitative services ...
in partnership with other non-profit and advocacy organizations.
Other months and weeks throughout the year are designated to raise awareness around specific mental health conditions or the mental health of different demographic groups (Minority Mental Health Month, Mental Illness Awareness Week, National Depression Screening Day, etc.).
See also
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National Child Traumatic Stress Network
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is an American organization whose "mission is to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families, and communities throughout the United States" ...
(NCTSN)
*
Mental Illness Awareness Week (USA, first week of October)
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Mental Health Week, in Australia
*
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day (10 October) is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global ...
(October 10)
References
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External links
Mental Health AmericaNational Alliance for Mental Illness(NAMI)
Brain & Behavior Research FoundationNational Institute of Mental HealthNational Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
May observances
Health observances
Disability observances
Mental health in the United States
Observances in the United States
Awareness months