MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time focused on raising awareness about the importance of mental health and the impact it has on people of all ages and backgrounds. Nearly 1 in 5 American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year.

 

Overall, 59.3 million U.S. adults are currently living with a mental illness, with anxiety disorders being the most common. Adults with disabilities report experiencing frequent mental distress almost 5 times as often as adults without disabilities. Frequent mental distress is associated with poor health behaviors, increased use of health services, mental disorders, chronic disease, and limitations in daily life. Additional statistics can be found on the Mental Health America and CDC websites.

 

There are numerous online resources available that can be accessed by everyone. Below we highlight our favorites and encourage everyone to take a moment to familiarize yourself with these wonderful supports.

 

Mental Health America (MHA) is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. MHA has an extensive mental health learning hub packed full of resources, quick facts, and information about mental health conditions.

Some noteworthy printable resources available from MHA include:

 

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a free 24/7/365 network of crisis contact centers providing mental health services and emotional support to the community. The 988 Lifeline can be accessed by texting or calling 988 or chat at chat.988lifeline.org. For people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, there is also an option to reach out to 988 Videophone by calling 988 with a VP number or connecting through their web portal.

The 988 Lifeline website has information on how to help someone else, stories of hope and recovery, printable safety plan, and free printable flyers.

Additionally, the 988 Lifeline provides resources for specific communities including, but not limited to:

 

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI provides an abundance of resources to learn about mental illness, support you or someone you know in their journey, or join a support group. An extensive list national resources can be found in the NAMI National HelpLine Resource Directory.

NAMI HelpLine, is available Monday through Friday, 10am-10pm, and provides free, confidential one-on-one emotional support, mental health information and resources. The HelpLine can be accessed by phone at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text to NAMI to 62640 or chat via the website.

 

Warmline.org offers a searchable database of local and nationwide warmlines. Warmlines are peer-operated and provide support to those who may be experiencing distress or loneliness through empathetic listening in a judgement-free space.

 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. On the SAMSHA website you can find resources for support, helplines, treatment, and extensive information on substance use and mental health.