mental health awareness campaign essay

• Essay Editor

Mental Health Essay

Introduction

Mental health, often overshadowed by its physical counterpart, is an intricate and essential aspect of human existence. It envelops our emotions, psychological state, and social well-being, shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions. With the complexities of modern life—constant connectivity, societal pressures, personal expectations, and the frenzied pace of technological advancements—mental well-being has become increasingly paramount. Historically, conversations around this topic have been hushed, shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding. However, as the curtains of misconception slowly lift, we find ourselves in an era where discussions about mental health are not only welcomed but are also seen as vital. Recognizing and addressing the nuances of our mental state is not merely about managing disorders; it's about understanding the essence of who we are, how we process the world around us, and how we navigate the myriad challenges thrown our way. This essay aims to delve deep into the realm of mental health, shedding light on its importance, the potential consequences of neglect, and the spectrum of mental disorders that many face in silence.

Importance of Mental Health

Mental health plays a pivotal role in determining how individuals think, feel, and act. It influences our decision-making processes, stress management techniques, interpersonal relationships, and even our physical health. A well-tuned mental state boosts productivity, creativity, and the intrinsic sense of self-worth, laying the groundwork for a fulfilling life.

Negative Impact of Mental Health

Neglecting mental health, on the other hand, can lead to severe consequences. Reduced productivity, strained relationships, substance abuse, physical health issues like heart diseases, and even reduced life expectancy are just some of the repercussions of poor mental health. It not only affects the individual in question but also has a ripple effect on their community, workplace, and family.

Mental Disorders: Types and Prevalence

Mental disorders are varied and can range from anxiety and mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder to more severe conditions such as schizophrenia.

• Depression: Characterized by persistent sadness, lack of interest in activities, and fatigue.
• Anxiety Disorders: Encompass conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and specific phobias.
• Schizophrenia: A complex disorder affecting a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly.

The prevalence of these disorders has been on the rise, underscoring the need for comprehensive mental health initiatives and awareness campaigns.

Understanding Mental Health and Its Importance

Mental health is not merely the absence of disorders but encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Recognizing the signs of deteriorating mental health, like prolonged sadness, extreme mood fluctuations, or social withdrawal, is crucial. Understanding stems from awareness and education. Societal stigmas surrounding mental health have often deterred individuals from seeking help. Breaking these barriers, fostering open conversations, and ensuring access to mental health care are imperative steps.

Conclusion: Mental Health

Mental health, undeniably, is as significant as physical health, if not more. In an era where the stressors are myriad, from societal pressures to personal challenges, mental resilience and well-being are essential. Investing time and resources into mental health initiatives, and more importantly, nurturing a society that understands, respects, and prioritizes mental health is the need of the hour.

• World Leaders: Several influential personalities, from celebrities to sports stars, have openly discussed their mental health challenges, shedding light on the universality of these issues and the importance of addressing them.
• Workplaces: Progressive organizations are now incorporating mental health programs, recognizing the tangible benefits of a mentally healthy workforce, from increased productivity to enhanced creativity.
• Educational Institutions: Schools and colleges, witnessing the effects of stress and other mental health issues on students, are increasingly integrating counseling services and mental health education in their curriculum.

In weaving through the intricate tapestry of mental health, it becomes evident that it's an area that requires collective attention, understanding, and action.

  Short Essay about Mental Health

Mental health, an integral facet of human well-being, shapes our emotions, decisions, and daily interactions. Just as one would care for a sprained ankle or a fever, our minds too require attention and nurture. In today's bustling world, mental well-being is often put on the back burner, overshadowed by the immediate demands of life. Yet, its impact is pervasive, influencing our productivity, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Sadly, mental health issues have long been stigmatized, seen as a sign of weakness or dismissed as mere mood swings. However, they are as real and significant as any physical ailment. From anxiety to depression, these disorders have touched countless lives, often in silence due to societal taboos.

But change is on the horizon. As awareness grows, conversations are shifting from hushed whispers to open discussions, fostering understanding and support. Institutions, workplaces, and communities are increasingly acknowledging the importance of mental health, implementing programs, and offering resources.

In conclusion, mental health is not a peripheral concern but a central one, crucial to our holistic well-being. It's high time we prioritize it, eliminating stigma and fostering an environment where everyone feels supported in their mental health journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the primary focus of a mental health essay?

Answer: The primary focus of a mental health essay is to delve into the intricacies of mental well-being, its significance in our daily lives, the various challenges people face, and the broader societal implications. It aims to shed light on both the psychological and emotional aspects of mental health, often emphasizing the importance of understanding, empathy, and proactive care.

• How can writing an essay on mental health help raise awareness about its importance?

Answer: Writing an essay on mental health can effectively articulate the nuances and complexities of the topic, making it more accessible to a wider audience. By presenting facts, personal anecdotes, and research, the essay can demystify misconceptions, highlight the prevalence of mental health issues, and underscore the need for destigmatizing discussions around it. An impactful essay can ignite conversations, inspire action, and contribute to a more informed and empathetic society.

• What are some common topics covered in a mental health essay?

Answer: Common topics in a mental health essay might include the definition and importance of mental health, the connection between mental and physical well-being, various mental disorders and their symptoms, societal stigmas and misconceptions, the impact of modern life on mental health, and the significance of therapy and counseling. It may also delve into personal experiences, case studies, and the broader societal implications of neglecting mental health.

Related articles

Master the art of paraphrasing with this comprehensive guide.

In academic writing, you often need to process a large number of sources to compile a thorough and credible examination. However, you can’t simply copy and paste all information into your text document. In such instances, paraphrasing becomes essential. In this short article, we’ll define paraphrasing, talk about why it’s important, and provide guidance on how to paraphrase in an essay. What is paraphrasing? Paraphrasing is a technique that involves rewriting the source text in a way that pr ...

How To Write Reflection Essays

How often do you contemplate how the tapestry of your experiences shapes your thoughts? A reflection paper lets you explore that. It's like deep diving into your life’s precious moments, examining how stories, books, events, or even lectures have influenced your views. This type of academic essay integrates a personal perspective, allowing you to openly express your opinions. In this guide, we will delve into the specifics of reflective writing, share some tips, and show some self-reflection es ...

How to Write Informative Essays

Informative essays are one of the main types of academic writing students must complete as part of the educational process. While this is a typical assignment in any curriculum, it can be hard to distinguish between different types of essays and how to write them. In this article, we’ll delve into the genre of this essay type, learn the definition of an informative essay, and how to write an informational essay. What is an informative essay? An informative essay is a piece of academic writin ...

APA or MLA: Choosing the Right Citation Style for Your Paper

When it comes to academic writing, properly citing your sources is crucial. It not only helps you avoid plagiarism but also adds credibility to your work by showing that you've done your research. However, with various citation styles out there, it can be tricky to know which one to use. Two of the most common styles are APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association). In this article, we'll take a closer look at the APA vs MLA format to help you decide which is ri ...

How to Write an Essay in APA Format

There are a few styles of organizing and formatting material in an academic essay. To get high grades it is necessary to learn specific characteristics of each one. After reading this article students are certain to figure out how to write in APA format. What is APA format for an essay? It was the American Psychological Association who offered to use the APA style when formatting articles and academic papers. The specialists described all its aspects in a special Publication Manual, printed i ...

MLA Format Essays: A Comprehensive Guide

Finishing an essay is one thing, but formatting it is a completely different affair. There are many style guides out there, so it can be hard to understand the differences between them. Today, you will learn about MLA format writing, what it is, when it’s used, and how to write MLA format essays. What is an MLA Style Essay? An MLA format essay is a piece of writing created in accordance with the MLA Style Handbook. This guide was developed by the Modern Language Association, the leading profe ...

What Is Chat GPT?

AI GPT chats have been getting a lot of attention over the last year. Not surprising since this new technology promises to change our future completely. The first and most well-known AI GPT chat software is ChatGPT officially released on November 30, 2022. In this article, we will answer the question “What is Chat GPT?”, explore how it works, and find out where to use the Chat GPT model. Chat GPT: definition As the name implies, ChatGPT is a chatbot that uses generative AI to process input p ...

Synthesis Essay Examples

A synthesis essay is another piece of academic discourse that students often find difficult to write. This assignment indeed requires a more nuanced approach to writing and performing research. It’s particularly relevant to students taking an AP English Language and Composition exam, so learning how to write a synthesis essay is crucial to getting a high score. This article will explore the definition of a synthesis essay, its functions, and objectives, and provide a tutorial on how to write a ...

Mental Health Campaigns and the Rise of Mental Health Problems

Do we need to consider how we manage mental health campaigns.

Posted June 26, 2023 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

• What Is Psychiatry?
• Find a therapist near me

In recent years, mental health has gained increased attention and recognition as an important aspect of overall well-being. Efforts to raise awareness about mental health issues have grown significantly, with campaigns, initiatives, and discussions aimed at reducing stigma and promoting help-seeking behaviours. But is there a relationship between mental health awareness efforts and the reported prevalence of mental health problems? By examining the potential factors at play and considering empirical evidence, we can gain a deeper understanding of this complex issue.

Reduction in Stigma

Mental health awareness efforts have contributed to a more open and public dialogue surrounding mental health issues. This has helped to break down long-standing stigmas, encouraging individuals to share their experiences and seek support. Mental health awareness campaigns have led to increased availability of information and resources. This has empowered individuals to better understand mental health, recognize symptoms, and seek appropriate help when needed.

Efforts to raise mental health awareness have been successful in reducing the stigma associated with mental health conditions. This has created an environment where individuals feel more comfortable disclosing their struggles and seeking help, leading to increased reporting. Increased awareness initiatives have improved mental health literacy, enabling individuals to recognize and label their mental health symptoms. This enhanced understanding may contribute to a higher reporting rate as people become more aware of their mental health concerns. Several societal factors, such as increased stress levels, changing social dynamics, and evolving cultural norms, may also contribute to the rise in reported mental health problems. While mental health awareness efforts can facilitate identification and reporting, these broader contextual factors should be considered.

Promotion and Recognition

Extensive resources have been poured into raising public awareness about mental health problems. One positive outcome of mental health awareness efforts has undeniably brought about positive changes by reducing stigma, promoting help-seeking behaviours, and connecting individuals with necessary support services. These initiatives have provided platforms for education , empathy, and community-building.

While mental health awareness campaigns are essential, it is crucial to acknowledge potential unintended consequences. While the goals have been admirable, there is an increasing realization, that they may be creating an escalation in the reporting of ‘mental health problems’ especially in younger age categories. In an interesting paper by Foulkes and Andrews, (2023), on the prevalence inflation hypothesis, they argue that mental health awareness efforts are leading to more accurate reporting of previously under-recognized symptoms, which they say is one beneficial outcome, but secondly, they propose that awareness efforts are leading some individuals to interpret and report milder forms of distress as mental health problems and that this may lead to some individuals experiencing a genuine increase in symptoms because labelling distress as a mental health problem can sometimes affect an individual's self-concept and behaviour in a way that is ultimately self-fulfilling.

Mixed Findings

Empirical studies examining the relationship between mental health awareness efforts and the reported prevalence of mental health problems have yielded mixed results. Some studies suggest a positive association, while others find no significant correlation or even a decrease in reported mental health issues. The complexity of measuring mental health, variations in survey methodologies, and potential reporting biases must be considered when interpreting research findings. These factors can influence the reported prevalence rates and make it challenging to establish a direct causal relationship between awareness efforts and increased reporting. Some concerns include the possibility of overmedicalization, self-diagnosis without professional input, and the potential for individuals to identify as having mental health issues based on popular trends or misinterpretations.

Mental health awareness efforts play a critical role in reducing stigma and promoting help-seeking behaviours. While they have contributed to an increase in reported mental health problems, this rise may be attributed to multiple factors, including reduced stigma and improved mental health literacy. Empirical evidence suggests a complex relationship, emphasizing the need for nuanced approaches that balance the benefits of awareness with potential concerns. Continued research, monitoring, and targeted interventions are necessary to ensure that mental health awareness efforts effectively support those in need while minimizing unintended consequences.

So Many Mental Health Campaigns

Campaigns may be actively contributing to the so-called ‘psychologising’ of everyday suffering and distress. Campaigns promoting self-disclosure may seem admirable, but it has been recognised that stigma and shame remain significant barriers to people seeking professional help, especially in the workplace. One potential social consequence is that there may also be a social dividend to self-disclosure and it may provide secondary gains to those talking about it. Often seen as an explanation as to why mental health problems are often glamorised or even romanticised, particularly on social media (e.g. quotes about depression on aesthetically-appealing backgrounds are widely shared) Foulkes and Andrews (2023). The question is do these campaigns lead to an excessive tendency to interpret negative psychological experiences as mental health problems?

Labels and Experiences

One interesting theory on how humans use categories is proposed by philsopher Ian Hacking involves what he calls the "looping effects". He explores the dynamic relationship between social categories and individual behaviour. He examines how the classification of individuals into certain categories can influence their self-perception and subsequent behaviour, leading to a feedback loop that reinforces and reshapes the very categories themselves.

Hacking's theory of looping effects challenges the traditional view of categories as static and objective, instead emphasizing their active role in shaping the social and psychological realities they represent. According to Hacking, categories such as mental disorders, personality types, or social identities are not fixed entities but rather socially constructed phenomena. They are products of historical, cultural, and scientific processes that involve the interaction between experts, institutions, and individuals. Hacking argues and I believe rightly so, that once a category is created and applied to individuals, it can have significant effects on their behaviour and experiences, leading to a transformation in the very nature of the category itself.

Inventor and the Invention

One key concept in Hacking's theory is "interactive kinds." Interactive kinds are categories that have the power to affect the individuals classified within them. For example, the classification of individuals as " autistic " has led to a transformation in the understanding and experience of autism. This classification has influenced not only the way autism is perceived but also the behaviour, self-perception, and lived experiences of individuals diagnosed with autism. The very act of categorization creates new possibilities for self-understanding and shapes the individual's subsequent actions.

Hacking identifies two primary looping effects: "human kinds" and "dynamic nominalism." Human kinds refer to categories that shape individuals' experiences and self-identification, influencing the development of new ways of being. For instance, the categorization of individuals as having "multiple personality disorder " led to the emergence of new psychological phenomena, with individuals adopting and embodying multiple identities as a result of the diagnostic label. Dynamic nominalism, on the other hand, describes the process through which categories change over time due to their impact on individuals' behaviour. As individuals conform to or resist the expectations associated with a category, the category itself evolves. The process of categorization has real-world consequences, influencing individual behaviour, institutional practices, and social dynamics. By recognizing the looping effects, Hacking urges us to critically examine and understand the power dynamics inherent in the creation and application of categories, encouraging a more nuanced and reflexive approach to the ways we classify and understand ourselves and others.

Over-interpretation of experience can lead to over-pathologising of common everyday distress. As Hacking reminds us, we can trigger a self-fulfilling prophecy effect, where the prophecy of the event leads to the event of the prophecy. Believing our distress to be a sign of some pathological issue may well bring about a greater anxiety or depressive response. We need to better understand how mental health campaigns can seek to reduce these negative effects, with an eye on better outcomes and treatment availability for all, regardless of age, gender , race or social background.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Angermeyer, M. C., Matschinger, H., & Riedel-Heller, S. G. (1999). Whose depression is it? Whose anxiety is it? Lay attitudes towards the labelling of mental disorders. Social Science & Medicine, 48(6), 761-770. doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(98)00386-1

Corrigan, P. W., & Watson, A. C. (2007). The stigma of mental illness: Explanatory models and methods for change. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 12(4), 179-190. doi:10.1016/j.appsy.2007.09.001

Foulkes, L., Andrews, J., (2023). Are mental health awareness efforts contributing to the rise in reported mental health problems? A call to test the prevalence inflation hypothesis, New Ideas in Psychology, Volume 69,

Gibson, P. (2022). Escaping The Anxiety Trap. Strategic Science Books.

Hare, D. J. (2017). Are rising rates of mental health problems a cause for concern? Journal of Mental Health, 26(5), 393-398. doi:10.1080/09638237.2017.1290302

Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Demler, O., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 617-627. doi:10.1001/archaic.62.6.617

Lauber, C., Rössler, W. (2007). Stigma towards people with mental illness in developing countries in Asia. International Review of Psychiatry, 19(2), 157-178. doi:10.1080/09540260701278929

Murphy, K. (2021). Are mental health awareness campaigns doing more harm than good? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/08/are-mental-health-aware…

Pescosolido, B. A., Martin, J. K., Lang, A., & Olafsdottir, S. (2008). Rethinking theoretical approaches to stigma: A Framework Integrating Normative Influences on Stigma (FINIS). Social Science & Medicine, 67(3), 431-440. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.03.018

Rose, D. (2005). Stigma, discrimination and the promotion of mental health. In P. D. Corrigan (Ed.), On the stigma of mental illness: Practical strategies for research and social change (pp. 361-384). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Sartorius, N., & Schulze, H. (2005). Reducing the stigma of mental illness: A report from a global program of the World Psychiatric Association. Cambridge University Press.

Thornicroft, G. (2006). Shunned: Discrimination against people with mental illness. Oxford University Press.

World Health Organization. (2001). The World Health Report 2001 - Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

Padraic Gibson, D.Psych, is a Consultant Clinical Psychotherapist and is the Clinical Director of The OCD Clinic®, and director of Training and Organization Consultation at The Coaching Clinic®, Dublin. He is senior research associate at Dublin City University.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Therapy Center NEW
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Published: 10 May 2023

Mental health awareness: uniting advocacy and research

Nature Mental Health volume  1 ,  pages 295–296 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

3656 Accesses

6 Altmetric

Metrics details

Mental Health Month has been observed to reduce the stigma that is associated with mental illness and to educate the public and encourage individuals to make their mental health and wellbeing a priority. It is an important moment to bring the strengths of advocacy groups and researchers together to promote mental health awareness and to improve equity.

Observances have become a popular tool to garner media and notice for topics deserving attention, from medical conditions to public health concerns, commemoration of notable events, or celebration of cultural groups. Codifying the scope and needs connected to an issue or illness through awareness campaigns can provide opportunities for imparting useful information, reducing stigma and marshalling support for policy change. The impact of awareness campaigns can be difficult to measure beyond tallying social media mentions or news stories. Effective advocacy, however, extends beyond traffic and paves the way for the creation of knowledge and partnerships among allies and with those whose interests are being represented. When the magnitude of an issue and the potential for improvement are great and are matched by broad involvement and recognition by stakeholders, the possibility for impact is also great.

Held annually in May, Mental Health Month , also called Mental Health Awareness Month, is an observance with such reach, resonating with many people. Nearly everyone has experience with the challenges that are associated with mental health, either first-hand or through loved ones or in their community. There is a need for education, support and initiative to improve our understanding of the causes of mental health disorders and to increase the availability of resources for prevention and treatment. Mental Health Month also offers the possibility of bringing together groups who often work in parallel, such as mental health advocates and mental health research organizations, that can mutually benefit from each other’s functions and expertise.

Mental Health Month was first established in the US in 1949 by the National Mental Health Association, now known as Mental Health America . At a time more often associated with the outset of the Cold War and Marshall Plan than setting an agenda for domestic mental health and wellbeing advocacy, in the more than 70 years since, Mental Health Month has grown into an international event designed to reduce exclusion, stigma and discrimination against people with mental health conditions or disorders. Mental Health America are joined by other prominent mental health advocacy groups to sponsor related observances: Mental Health Awareness Week Canada (1–7 May, 2023) and Europe (22–28 May, 2023); and federal agencies such as the Substance Use Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ( SAMSHA ) in the US, promoting related public education platforms, including National Prevention Week (7–13 May, 2023).

Observances and awareness campaigns also provide occasions to put mental health in context. Increasing acknowledgment of the role of social determinants, for example, as mechanisms that can increase vulnerability for developing disorders and that drive disparities in mental health are an important framework to underscore as part of promoting mental health awareness. Given the complex and broad scope of people, disorders, conditions and issues under the umbrella of mental health, observances also give us the chance to focus more closely on specific problems or experiences. The theme for Mental Health Month in 2023 is ‘Look Around, Look Within’, which emphasizes the interdependence of mental health and wellness with an individual’s internal and external experiences and environments.

“The ‘Look Around, Look Within’ theme builds on the growing recognition that all humans have mental health needs and that our available resources to build resilience and heal come in many forms — including in the natural world,” explains Jennifer Bright, Mental Health America Board Chair and President of Momentum Health Strategies. “Mental Health America’s strategic plan, focused on NextGen Prevention, carries a similar theme — that the social factors supporting mental health are essential building blocks. These encompass basic needs like healthy food, stable housing, and access to treatment and supports, but they also include spirituality, connection with peers with lived experience, and safe and natural spaces.”

Overlapping with Mental Health Month, Mental Health Foundation sponsors Mental Health Week in the UK (15–21 May, 2023), dedicating this year to raising awareness around anxiety. It shares an individual-centered approach to advocacy. In addition to providing toolkits and resources that point to how prevalent stress and anxiety can be to reduce stigma, it also promotes the accessibility of coping strategies for managing anxiety. As part of the Mental Health Awareness Week campaign, Mental Health Foundation and others use the international symbol of wearing a green ribbon or clothing to physically raise awareness around mental health. Nature Mental Health also incorporates the symbol of the green ribbon on the cover of this month’s issue and as our journal theme color. Green evokes the ideas of vitality, growth, new beginnings and hope — powerful imagery in mental health awareness.

Alongside stories, sponsorships and social media resources, mental health advocacy toolkits and strategy documents include fact sheets and messaging that are shaped and informed by research. Yet, there is often a perception that a divide exists between the mental health advocacy and research spaces, but observances such as Mental Health Month can bridge the two.

According to Lea Milligan, Chief Executive Officer of MQ: Transforming Mental Health , an international mental health research organization, there are complementary approaches and priorities in advocacy and research: “Mental health research can be used to bolster awareness by providing evidence-based information and resources that can help individuals and communities better understand mental health and the factors that contribute to mental health problems. This can include information on risk factors, prevention strategies, and available treatments.”

In addition, increased efforts to involve people with lived experience of mental illness in the research enterprise is a goal that is well-served through connection with advocacy. “While MQ is primarily focused on promoting mental health research, it also recognizes the importance of advocacy in advancing the mental health agenda” suggests Milligan. “MQ advocates for increased funding and support for mental health research, as well as policies that promote mental health and wellbeing. Additionally, MQ seeks to empower individuals with lived experience of mental health conditions to be involved in research and advocacy efforts, and to have their voices heard in the development of policies and programs that affect their lives. MQ provides resources and support for individuals with lived experience who wish to be involved in research or advocacy efforts, including training programs, research grants, and opportunities to participate in research studies.”

Involvement or engagement is certainly one of the most important metrics of advocacy. By strengthening collaboration between advocacy and research organizations and identifying the mutual areas of benefit, such as engagement and increased funding, we may find new ways to green light mental health awareness and action toward mental health equity.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Mental health awareness: uniting advocacy and research. Nat. Mental Health 1 , 295–296 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-023-00072-6

Download citation

Published : 10 May 2023

Issue Date : May 2023

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-023-00072-6

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

• Warning Signs and Symptoms
• Mental Health Conditions
• Common with Mental Illness
• Mental Health By the Numbers
• Individuals with Mental Illness
• Family Members and Caregivers
• Kids, Teens and Young Adults
• Maternal & New Parent Mental Health
• Veterans & Active Duty
• Identity and Cultural Dimensions
• Frontline Professionals
• Mental Health Education
• Support Groups
• NAMI HelpLine
• Publications & Reports
• Podcasts and Webinars
• Video Resource Library
• Justice Library
• Find Your Local NAMI
• Find a NAMIWalks
• Attend the NAMI National Convention
• Fundraise Your Way
• Create a Memorial Fundraiser
• Pledge to Be StigmaFree
• Awareness Events
• Share Your Story
• Partner with Us
• Advocate for Change
• Policy Priorities
• NAMI Advocacy Actions
• Policy Platform
• Crisis Intervention
• State Fact Sheets
• Public Policy Reports
• Get Involved

Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since its inception in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been a cornerstone of addressing the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions. Throughout the month, NAMI actively participates in this national movement, dedicated to eradicating stigma, extending support, fostering public education and advocating for policies that prioritize the well-being of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

Take the Moment

Download the toolkit, share on social media, sharing is caring, nami helplines, more ways to get involved this mental health awareness month.

This year, NAMI is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with the Take the Moment campaign. We encourage you to join us in fostering open dialogues, cultivating empathy and understanding. We also urge you to share our resources to support individuals and families on their journey towards mental wellness. Through "Take the Moment," we shine a spotlight on NAMI's array of signature programs including: NAMI Basics , NAMI Family-to-Family , NAMI Family & Friends , NAMI Homefront , NAMI In Our Own Voice , NAMI Peer-to-Peer , NAMI Support Groups and our invaluable NAMI HelpLine , which 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.

This campaign also champions the importance of destigmatizing mental health by normalizing the practice of taking moments to prioritize mental health care without guilt or shame.

We at NAMI National have created this in order to support NAMI State Organizations, NAMI Affiliates, partners and ambassadors in efforts to promote Mental Health Awareness Month.

Join us, take the moment and let's make a difference together. Download our toolkit for more insights on this campaign, downloadable graphics, and more!

Throughout May, we invite you to share with us on social media why or how you are taking moments to prioritize your mental health. Please use the hashtag #TakeAMentalHealthMoment in your posts.

Also, this page will be updated with more resources and ways to get involved during the months of April and May. You can bookmark this webpage, so you can easily access this information.

To help get you get started, we have provided sample posts and graphics below you can use on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at @NAMICommunicate on Instagram, Threads and X and @NAMI on LinkedIn, TikTok and Facebook.

Sample Captions

Take the Moment: Join NAMI's Mental Health Awareness Month campaign as we spotlight our signature programs! Let's break the stigma together! nami.org/mham #TakeAMentalHealthMoment #MentalHealthMonth

Our mental health journey starts with a single moment. Take it! NAMI's 2024 campaign is here to empower you with resources like NAMI Family-to-Family. Let's prioritize mental well-being together. nami.org/mham #TakeAMentalHealthMoment #MentalHealthMonth

Seeking mental health support? Look no further than NAMI's comprehensive suite of programs! Join us in making a difference today! nami.org/mham #TakeAMentalHealthMoment #MentalHealthMonth

Join us and NAMI this month in normalizing the practice of taking moments to prioritize mental health care without guilt or shame. Programs. nami.org/mham #TakeAMentalHealthMoment #MentalHealthMonth

Share some of our graphics below ( access our full set of graphics here ). Don’t forget to tag us at @NAMICommunicate on Instagram and Twitter and @NAMI on TikTok and Facebook and use our hashtag #TakeAMentalHealthMoment #MentalHealthMonth!

NAMI’s signature programs are where people and communities can find help, hope and healing. We encourage you to share or sign up for these programs if you or someone you know needs mental health support.

• NAMI Basics : A six-session education program for parents, caregivers and other family members who provide care for youth (ages 22 and younger) who are experiencing mental health symptoms.
• NAMI Family-to-Family : A free, eight-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions.
• NAMI Family & Friends: A free 90-minute or four-hour seminar that informs people who have loved ones with a mental health condition how to best support them.
• NAMI Homefront : A free, six-session program for families, caregivers and friends of military members and veterans with mental health conditions. Plus, find free online resources available 24/7.
• NAMI In Our Own Voice : Free presentations that provide a personal perspective of mental health conditions, as leaders with lived experience talk openly about what it's like to have a mental health condition.
• NAMI Peer-to-Peer : A free, eight-session educational program for adults with mental health conditions who are looking to better understand themselves and their recovery.
• NAMI Support Groups : NAMI support groups are peer-led and offer participants an opportunity to share their experiences and gain support from other attendees.

In Need of Help or Support?

You are not alone! If you are struggling with your mental health, the NAMI HelpLine is here for you. Connect with a NAMI HelpLine specialist or Teen & Young Adult HelpLine specialist today.

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.

The NAMI Teen & Young Adult (T&YA) HelpLine offers a direct connection with another young person who shares similar experiences and is prepared to offer information, resources, and support to help you move through difficult times to a better place.

Available Monday Through Friday, 10 A.M. – 10 P.M. ET

Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) , text "HelpLine" to 62640 or chat with us at nami.org/help .

Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) , text "HelpLine" to 62640 or chat with us at nami.org/talktous .

Need Immediate Help in A Crisis?

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Dial or text 988 if you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health crisis and get connected to a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Crisis counselors listen empathetically and without judgment. Your crisis counselor will work to ensure that you feel safe and help identify options and information about mental health services in your area.

Attend An Event

NAMIWalks : Is more than just a walk—it's a powerful movement for change in mental health. Bringing together individuals, families, and communities, NAMIWalks raises funds, spreads awareness, and fights stigma surrounding mental illness. By participating, you join a nationwide effort to value mental health and promote compassion and understanding for those affected by mental illness.

Partner With Us

Become an advocate : NAMI advocates with elected officials to ensure people get help early, people get the best possible care, and people get diverted from justice system involvement. But, we can’t do this without you. Your voice makes a difference.

Volunteer: Get involved with your local NAMI and make a difference in your community or apply to be a volunteer with our national HelpLine.

Know the warning signs of mental illness

Learn more about common mental health conditions

NAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264 , text “helpline” to 62640 , or chat online. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).

• Mission and Vision
• Scientific Advancement Plan
• Science Visioning
• Research Framework
• Minority Health and Health Disparities Definitions
• Organizational Structure
• Staff Directory
• About the Director
• Director’s Messages
• News Mentions
• Presentations
• Selected Publications
• Director's Laboratory
• Congressional Justification
• Congressional Testimony
• Legislative History
• NIH Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan 2021-2025
• Minority Health and Health Disparities: Definitions and Parameters
• NIH and HHS Commitment
• Foundation for Planning
• Structure of This Plan
• Strategic Plan Categories
• Summary of Categories and Goals
• Scientific Goals, Research Strategies, and Priority Areas
• Research-Sustaining Activities: Goals, Strategies, and Priority Areas
• Outreach, Collaboration, and Dissemination: Goals and Strategies
• Leap Forward Research Challenge
• Future Plans
• Research Interest Areas
• Research Centers
• Research Endowment
• Community Based Participatory Research Program (CBPR)
• SBIR/STTR: Small Business Innovation/Tech Transfer
• Solicited and Investigator-Initiated Research Project Grants
• Scientific Conferences
• Training and Career Development
• Loan Repayment Program (LRP)
• Data Management and Sharing
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Population and Community Health Sciences
• Epidemiology and Genetics
• Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP)
• Coleman Research Innovation Award
• Health Disparities Interest Group
• Art Challenge
• Breathe Better Network
• Healthy Hearts Network
• DEBUT Challenge
• Healthy Mind Initiative
• Mental Health Essay Contest
• Science Day for Students at NIH
• Fuel Up to Play 60 en Español
• Brother, You're on My Mind
• Celebrating National Minority Health Month
• Reaching People in Multiple Languages
• Funding Strategy
• Active Funding Opportunities
• Expired Funding Opportunities
• Technical Assistance Webinars

• Community Health and Population Sciences
• Clinical and Health Services Research
• Integrative Biological and Behavioral Sciences
• Intramural Research Program
• Training and Diverse Workforce Development
• Inside NIMHD
• ScHARe HDPulse PhenX SDOH Toolkit Understanding Health Disparities For Research Applicants For Research Grantees Research and Training Programs Reports and Data Resources Health Information for the Public Science Education

• NIMHD Programs
• NIMHD Education and Outreach
• NIH Teen Mental Health Essay Contest

• Extramural Research
• Intramural Research
• NIMHD Collaborations
• Fuel Up to Play 60 en Espanol
• COVID-19 Information and Resources

Speaking Up About Mental Health

National essay contest.

SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY The contest is open to high school students ages 16-18

PROMOTION TOOLKIT Help spread the word with social media and email tools

December 1, 2023

Dec. 1, 2023

January 16, 2024

Jan. 16, 2024

May 31, 2024

Mental health is an important part of overall health across all life stages. However, far too often, symptoms are not addressed or recognized among teens.

Speaking Up About Mental Health is an essay contest that challenges high school students ages 16-18 to raise awareness of mental health. The contest gives students a platform to share ways to eliminate and/or reduce mental health stigma faced by young people, especially in diverse communities.

This contest is soliciting essays that:

• Discuss ways to eliminate and/or reduce mental health stigma faced by young people, especially in diverse communities
• Share resilience and coping strategies to overcome mental health issues such as social isolation and loneliness, depression, and anxiety
• Address mental health stigma
• Encourage conversations about mental health, social media, and/or technology
• Suggest school policies or practices that could help reduce stigma
• Describe barriers to mental health treatment
• Cover other areas of concern to individuals and their communities with respect to mental health

Get details on contest rules and submit your entry on Challenge.gov

Promotion toolkit : Help promote the Speaking Up About Mental Health essay contest

The contest is led by:

National Institute of Mental Health

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Page updated Jan. 23, 2024

September 2022: NIH Announces Winners of High School Mental Health Essay Contest

2022 Essay Awardees

2019 Essay Awardees

[email protected]

Staying Connected

• Funding Opportunities  
• News & Events  
• HHS Vulnerability Disclosure  
• Privacy/Disclaimer/Accessibility Policy  
• Viewers & Players  

• The Power of Mental Health Campaigns In Changing Minds And Shaping Lives

• Mental health campaigns are strategic initiatives aimed at raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting mental well-being in society.
• With the increasing recognition of mental health as a global concern, such campaigns have become crucial in addressing unique mental health needs.

What Are Mental Health Campaigns?

Mental health campaigns are strategic initiatives aimed at raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting mental well-being in society. These campaigns play a vital role in educating the public about mental health issues, encouraging open conversations, and providing resources for support and treatment.

With the increasing recognition of mental health as a global concern, such campaigns have become crucial in addressing the needs of individuals struggling with mental health conditions .

Importance Of Mental Health Awareness Campaigns

Mental health awareness campaigns are vital in combating stigma and promoting understanding . By challenging stereotypes and sharing personal stories, these campaigns foster a more accepting and empathic society. They encourage help-seeking behavior by providing information on available resources and highlighting stories of resilience.

Moreover, these campaigns educate the public, dispel myths, and promote early intervention. By equipping individuals with knowledge about mental health conditions and their warning signs, they contribute to better outcomes and improved overall well-being.

These campaigns empower individuals by providing information, resources, and a sense of community, while also advocating for policy changes and supporting loved ones and caregivers.

Campaigning Through Mental Health Ads

Campaigning through mental health ads involves several steps to effectively raise awareness and promote positive attitudes. This process begins with identifying the target audience and formulating a concise yet impactful message.

Compelling visuals are then created to capture attention and convey the desired emotions. Selecting the appropriate channels for ad placement and engaging partnerships further enhance the campaign’s reach and credibility. Monitoring and evaluation help assess the campaign’s effectiveness, while ongoing support resources ensure individuals have access to help.

Online And Offline Mental Health Campaigning

Online campaigning leverages the power of the internet and social media platforms to reach a wide audience. It includes activities such as creating informative websites, sharing engaging content on social media, hosting webinars or online events, and utilizing targeted online advertising.

In contrast, offline campaigning focuses on engaging individuals in physical spaces and communities. This can involve organizing public events, workshops, or seminars, distributing informational pamphlets or brochures, and collaborating with local organizations or institutions.

Both online and offline mental health campaigning approaches have their unique benefits. Online campaigning offers scalability, wider reach, real-time interaction, and the potential for viral campaigns.

It engages diverse audiences and allows for instant sharing of resources. Offline campaigning, on the other hand, fosters personal connections, creates a sense of support within local communities, and enables direct engagement. By combining online and offline methods, mental health campaigns can effectively reach individuals through various channels, maximizing their impact.

Lauding The Best Mental Health Awareness Campaigns

Thanks to an increasingly open conversation around mental health, several campaigns have been launched over the years to give impetus to this trend . For instance, the influential Canadian mental health campaign “Bell Let’s Talk” has achieved remarkable success in recent years.

It encourages individuals to share their stories, struggles, and experiences with mental health. It has effectively used social media platforms to create a space for dialogue, and for every interaction using the # BellLetsTalk hashtag, Bell donates funds towards mental health programs.

Over the years, the campaign has generated significant awareness, fundraising millions of dollars for mental health organizations and contributing to the reduction of stigma surrounding mental health in Canada.

Similarly, the mental health awareness campaign “Heads Together” launched by the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Harry has made significant achievements in changing the conversation around mental health.

By partnering with various organizations, the campaign aims to raise awareness, provide support, and promote open discussions. They have used high-profile events, such as the London Marathon, to create visibility and encourage individuals to share their stories.

The campaign’s impact has culminated in the hotline SHOUT and several other campaigns (like “Early Years” and “Shaping Us”) to raise mental health awareness.

Similarly, the #IAmNotAshamed campaign focuses on reducing the stigma associated with depression and anxiety. “Movember” is another global campaign that has played a significant role in raising awareness about mental health issues faced by men, particularly in the context of suicide prevention.

In the UK, “Time to Change” has made substantial strides in challenging the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health over the years. This campaign’s efforts have led to increased public awareness, improved attitudes toward mental health, and a positive shift in societal perceptions.

Moreover, mental health campaign ideas and ongoing social media campaigns like Spotify’s “Tune In To Yourself”, Chi Forest’s “Little Red Flower Charity Milk Tea”, Cadbury Bournvita’s “The Boy Who Failed”, and Asics’s “Dramatic Transformation” have stepped away from the commodification of a public health issue, leaving a mark with their heartening and meaningful contribution to the mental health cause.

Toward The Future Of Mental Health Campaigns

Mental health campaigns are instrumental in fostering understanding, reducing stigma, and providing essential support to individuals struggling with mental health challenges.

Through the power of awareness, education, and compassionate communication, these campaigns pave the way for a society that prioritizes mental well-being, reduces the risks of mental illness, and offers avenues for help and support . Whether through online platforms or offline initiatives, mental health campaigns play a vital role in shaping a future where mental health is acknowledged, understood, and effectively addressed.

Know More About –

• Good Mental Health
• Mental Health Awareness
• Mindfulness

Related Articles –

• How Does Mental Health Affect Physical Health? Unlocking The Underrated Connection To Well-Being
• Food For Mental Health: 10 Foods That Can Help Boost Your Mood And Reduce Stress
• Successful Tips for Taking a Mental Health Day: When and Why You Should Consider It

New Oakland Family Centers Faces Opposition in Livonia for Short-Term Mental Health Facilities for Children

Decades-Long Quest to Uncover Schizophrenia Genes Ends in Disappointment

Mental health topics (a-z).

• Abrasive Personality
• Academic Problems And Skills
• Actor-Observer Bias
• Addiction And The Brain
• Causes Of Addiction
• Complications Of Addiction
• Stages Of Addiction
• Types Of Addiction
• Adjustment Disorder
• Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Premature Aging
• Aging And Mental Health
• Agoraphobia
• Agreeableness
• Alcohol Use Disorder
• Alcohol Withdrawal
• Alcohol And Mental Health
• End Stage Alcoholism
• Treatment For Alcoholism
• Alienation  
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Anger Management
• Animal Behavior
• Treatment For Anorexia Nervosa
• Anthropomorphism
• Anthropophobia
• Antidepressants
• Arachnophobia
• Art Therapy
• Causes Of Asperger’s Syndrome
• Coping With Asperger Syndrome
• Symptoms Of Asperger’s Syndrome
• Treatment For Asperger’s Syndrome
• Astraphobia
• Attachment styles
• Attachment Theory
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Avoidant Personality Disorder
• Bathophobia
• Behavioral Change
• Behavioral Economics
• Bereavement
• Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB)
• Bibliophobia
• Bibliotherapy
• Big 5 Personality Traits  
• Binge Drinking
• Binge Eating Disorder
• Binge Watching
• Causes Of Bipolar Disorder
• Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
• Birthday Depression
• Body language
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
• Causes Of Boredom
• How To Improve Brain Health
• Nutrition And Brain Health
• Brain Science
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Causes Of Burnout
• The Bystander Effect
• Caffeine Use Disorder 
• Capgras Delusion
• Caregiving  
• Character Traits 
• Child Development  
• Child Discipline 
• Christmas And Mental Health  
• Types Of Chronic Pain
• Chronomentrophobia  
• City Syndromes
• Traits Of Cluster B Personality Disorder
• Cluster B Personality Disorders Treatment 
• Coping With Codependency 
• Effectiveness Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 
• Types of Cognitive Biases
• Cognitive Decline
• Cognitive Dissonance  
• Color Psychology
• Commitment Phobia
• Communication Disorders 
• Compassion Fatigue 
• Compulsive Buying Disorder
• Conduct Disorder
• Confirmation Bias  
• Conscientiousness
• Consumer Behavior  
• Consumerism  
• Couples Therapy
• Decision-making
• Default Mode Network (DMN) And Alzheimer’s Disease
• Defense Mechanisms
• Delusional Disorder
• Dependent Personality Disorder
• Depression 
• Depression At Night
• Dermatillomania
• Discrimination
• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
• Dissociative Disorders
• Treatment Of Dissociative Fugue
• Dissociative Identity Disorder
• Dissociative Trance Disorder
• Domestic Violence and Mental Health
• Dopamine Deficiency
• How To Increase Dopamine
• Dream Interpretation
• Drug Abuse  
• Drunkorexia
• Coping With The Dunning-Kruger Effect
• Types of Dysgraphia 
• Dyspareunia
• Dysthymia (Persistent Depressive Disorder)
• Causes Of Eating Disorders
• Self Help Strategies For Eating Disorders
• Treatment For Eating Disorders
• Ego Depletion
• Embarrassment
• Emotional Regulation
• Emotional Abuse  
• Improving Emotional Intelligence (EI)
• Empathic Accuracy
• Environmental Psychology 
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Executive Function
• Exhibitionistic Disorder
• Expressive Language Disorder
• Signs Of An Extrovert
• False Memory
• Types of Family Dynamics
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
• Financial Therapy  
• First Impression
• Forensic Psychology 
• Four Pillars Of Mental Health
• Free Will  
• Freudian Psychology
• Friends And Mental Health  
• Gambling Disorder
• Ganser Syndrome
• Gaslighting
• Gender Dysphoria
• Gender and Alienation 
• Gender Bias 
• Causes Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Coping With Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Symptoms Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment
• Geographical Psychology  
• Gerascophobia
• Geriatric Depression
• Group Therapy
• Growth Mindset
• How To Strengthen Your Gut Feeling
• How To Form Effective Habits
• Hakomi Therapy
• Halo Effect
•  Healing From Trauma
• Heliophobia
• Hexaco Personality Test
• Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)
• Histrionic Personality Disorder
• Hoarding Disorder
• Holiday Depression
• Holiday Stress  
• Types Of Holistic Health Treatments
• Homelessness and Mental Health
• Homosexuality
• Horn Effect
• Human Trafficking And Mental Health
• Hypersomnia
• Illness Anxiety Disorder
• Imagination
• Impostor Syndrome
• Impulse Buying
• Impulse Control Disorder (ICD)
• Inspiration
• Intellectual Disability
• Internet Addiction
• Introversion
• Kleptomania
• Laughter Therapy
• Learned Helplessness
• Life Satisfaction 
• Types Of Life Skills
• Living With Someone With Mental Illness
• Locus Of Control
• How To Practice Healthy Love In Relationships
• Love Addiction
• Love And Relationships  
• Love And Mental Health
• Self Love Deficit Disorder
• Triangular Theory Of Love
• Machiavellianism
• Mageirocophobia
• Benefits Of Magical Thinking
• Magical Thinking OCD
• Causes Of Depression
• Coping With Depression
• Treatment For Depression
• Types Of Depression
• Maladaptive Daydreaming
• Manic Depression
• Manic Episode
• Mens Mental Health 
• Mental Exercises
•  Mental Health And Holidays 
• Children’s Mental Health Awareness
• Mental Health Disability
• Mental Illness 
• Mental Wellness In New Year 
• Metacognition
• Microaggression
• Microexpressions
• Midlife Crisis 
• Money and Mental Health
• Mood Disorders
• Motivated Reasoning
• Music and Mental Health
• Music Therapy
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• Nature and Mental Health
• Necrophobia
• Neuroticism
• Night Eating Syndrome
• Causes Of Nightmare Disorder
• Treatment for Nightmare Disorder
• Nyctophobia
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Obsessive Love Disorder
• Online Counseling
• Online Therapy
• Onychophagia (Nail Biting)
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• Panic Disorder
• Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia  
• Causes Of Paranoia
• Coping With Paranoia
• Helping Someone With Paranoia
• Symptoms Of Paranoia
• Treatment Of Paranoia
• Types Of Paranoia
• Paranoid Personality Disorder
• Coping With Paranoid Schizophrenia
• Helping Someone With Paranoid Schizophrenia
• Treatment of Paranoid Schizophrenia
• Parental Alienation Syndrome  
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Passive Aggression
• Pathological Jealousy
• Perfectionism
• Performance Anxiety
• Perinatal Mood And Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)
• Personality
• Personality Disorders
• Pet Therapy
• Pica Disorder
• Positive Psychology
• Causes Of PTSD
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children
• Coping With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Diagnosis Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Symptoms Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Treatment Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Treatment Of Postpartum Depression
• Postpartum Psychosis
• Premature Ejaculation
• Procrastination
• Psychoanalysis
• The Psychology Behind Smoking
• Psychotherapy
• Psychotic Depression
• Reactive Attachment Disorder
• Recovered Memory Syndrome
• Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
• Relationships
• Reminiscence Therapy
• Repetitive Self-Mutilation
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Retrograde Amnesia
• Rumination Disorder
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Schema Therapy
• Childhood Schizophrenia
• Hebephrenia (Disorganized Schizophrenia)
• Treatment Of Schizophrenia
• Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder 
• Selective Mutism
• Self-Actualization
• Self Care And Wellness
• Self-Control
• Self-disclosure
• Self-Esteem
• Self-Monitoring
• Self-motivation
• Self-Serving Bias
• Sensory Processing Disorder
• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Separation Anxiety in Relationships
• Serial Killers
• Sexual Masochism Disorder
• Sexual Orientation
• Shared Psychotic Disorder
• Signs And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia
• Situational Stress
• Situationship
• Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) Sleep Arousal Disorders
• Parasomnias
• Sleep Disorders
• Sleep Paralysis
• Sleeplessness
• Sleep Meditation
• Sociability
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Social Media Addiction
• Social Media And Mental Health
• Somatic Symptom Disorder ( SSD )
• Specific Reading Comprehension Deficit
• Spirituality
• Stage Fright
• Stendhal Syndrome
• Stereotypes
• Acute Stress Disorder
• Stress Management
• Suicide And Mental Health  
• Suicide Grief 
• Teen Dating Violence
• Time Management Techniques
• 10 Helpful Time Management Tips
• Tobacco-Related Disorders
• Toxic Love Disorder 
• Transgender
• Transient Tic Disorder
• Trauma and Addiction
• Trichotillomania
• Venustraphobia
• Video Game Addiction
• Virtual Reality and Mental Health
• Voyeuristic Disorder
• Weight Watchers
• Werther Syndrome
• Stockholm Syndrome
• Work and Mental Health 
• How To Cure Workaholism
• Workplace Bullying
• Workplace Stress
• Yoga For Mental Health
• Young Male Syndrome
• Zeigarnik Effect
• Zone of Proximal Development  

Copyright 2024

Typically replies within minutes

WhatsApp Us

🟢 Online | Privacy policy

Home » Home » Essay » Essay on mental health awarene (100, 200, 300, & 500 Words)

Essay on mental health awarene (100, 200, 300, & 500 Words)

Mental health awareness (100 words), mental health awareness (200 words), mental health awareness (300 words), the importance of mental health awareness.

• Promoting Understanding: Increasing mental health awareness helps society understand that mental health issues are not a sign of weakness or personal failure. It emphasizes that mental illnesses are legitimate medical conditions that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background.
• Fostering Empathy and Support: By spreading awareness about mental health, we foster empathy and understanding among individuals. This enables a supportive and compassionate environment, where individuals can openly discuss their mental health struggles without fear of judgment or discrimination.
• Encouraging Early Detection and Treatment: When people are aware of the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, they can recognize them in themselves or others. Early detection and intervention are vital for preventing the escalation of mental health issues and improving long-term outcomes.
• Reducing Stigma and Discrimination: Mental health awareness challenges the misconceptions and biases associated with mental illnesses. By educating society, we can combat the stigma and discrimination faced by individuals struggling with their mental health, facilitating their integration into society.

Ways to Improve Mental Health Awareness

1. education and awareness campaigns, 2. open conversations and supportive environments, 3. collaborations and partnerships, 4. media and social media, 5. training and support for professionals, 6. government policies and funding.

• Mental health awareness is important because it helps society understand that mental health issues are not a sign of weakness or personal failure. It emphasizes that mental illnesses are legitimate medical conditions that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background.
• Mental health awareness fosters empathy and support by spreading knowledge and understanding about mental health. This creates a compassionate environment where individuals can openly discuss their mental health struggles without fear of judgment or discrimination.
• Early detection and treatment are encouraged in mental health awareness because they are vital for preventing the escalation of mental health issues and improving long-term outcomes. When people are aware of the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, they can recognize them in themselves or others.
• Mental health awareness plays a crucial role in reducing stigma and discrimination associated with mental illnesses. By educating society, it challenges misconceptions and biases, facilitating the integration of individuals struggling with their mental health into society.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

A demo is the first step to transforming your business. Meet with us to develop a plan for attaining your goals.

• What is coaching?

Learn how 1:1 coaching works, who its for, and if it's right for you.

Accelerate your personal and professional growth with the expert guidance of a BetterUp Coach.

Types of Coaching

Navigate career transitions, accelerate your professional growth, and achieve your career goals with expert coaching.

Enhance your communication skills for better personal and professional relationships, with tailored coaching that focuses on your needs.

Find balance, resilience, and well-being in all areas of your life with holistic coaching designed to empower you.

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Research, expert insights, and resources to develop courageous leaders within your organization.

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

• BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

Mental health awareness: The importance of conversation

Jump to section

What is mental health awareness?

How can mental health awareness help, 3 tips to promote mental health awareness, why is mental health awareness so important, additional mental health resources.

It's impossible to have a conversation about health and wellness without talking about mental health. In the United States, nearly one in five adults have a mental illness or mental health condition. That's nearly 52 million people.

However, mental health isn't just about having or not having a mental illness. Our well-being is affected by all aspects of our lives, and that, in turn, affects how we experience life, work, and time with our loved ones. Now, the conversation is more critical than ever. In 2021, the prevalent feeling of the year was languishing . BetterUp’s research found that more than 55% of workers weren't mentally ill, but they weren't thriving either .

As the pandemic has brought physical health center stage in an unprecedented way, it's time to look at the other major components of well-being . The conversation around mental health awareness has never been as public, as prevalent, or as important. After all, building awareness is a critical ingredient to learning how to care for your mental health .  Learn what mental health awareness is and how it makes a difference in your personal and professional life in this article. 

So what does mental health awareness mean, and how do you promote it?

Mental health awareness is the ongoing effort to reduce the stigma around mental illness and mental health conditions by sharing our personal experiences.

Often, because of misconceptions about mental health and mental fitness, people often suffer in silence and their conditions go untreated. Mental health awareness is an important social movement to both improve understanding and increase access to healthcare.

Mental health awareness is critical to promoting mental health treatment and behavioral health.  It’s a necessary and foundational conversation for changing to a more proactive model of mental health. Right now, we only fill our tanks when they’re on “empty.” Developing our awareness helps us start to recognize the signs and symptoms when we’re feeling “off” — just as we do with physical illness.

Here are four important benefits of mental health awareness:

1. Helps you understand your symptoms

Sometimes, there is magic in having a diagnosis. Despite the stigma around the term, it’s simply a shorthand for a collection of symptoms that occur together. Especially with mental health conditions, which are difficult to pinpoint — and sometimes impossible to find — on a test, a diagnosis can be incredibly validating. It can help people feel less alone and make it easier to find treatment. Pay attention to your symptoms. For example, you might feel like your mental health worsens with social media use . 

2. Starts a conversation

Mental health awareness is an ongoing conversation, but up until recently, it's only been had in whispers. But because a common feature of many moods and anxiety disorders is distorted thinking, talking about it can actually be immensely therapeutic. 

Building a support network and speaking with a licensed mental health professional is critical to alleviating symptoms of many mental health conditions. Unfortunately, stigma creates silence. It also makes it difficult to ask for support at work or in other environments that might be made more challenging by a mental health diagnosis.

3. Better education

It's crucial for caregivers, employers, parents, family members, and loved ones to understand the impact that mental health has on daily life. However, while mental health conditions can make daily life more difficult, they also don't have to prevent you from having a fulfilling and engaging life . When the people in your life understand and prioritize mental health care, it makes it easier to take the actions you need to do to take care of yourself and thrive .

4. Promotes mental fitness

Many of us have fallen into the trap of thinking of mental health as solely related to mental illness. However, it's possible to have a mental health condition and be mentally fit, and the absence of a mental health condition doesn't necessarily ensure mental fitness. Expanding our understanding of mental health issues and wellness to incorporate mental fitness, a proactive approach to emotional health , well-being, and cognitive agility . It allows us to live life with more purpose, clarity, and passion . Reducing the stigma around mental health is an important step to embracing mental fitness . 

How can individual people, especially non-clinicians, make a difference in promoting mental health awareness? A big part of it is learning to talk and share about mental health openly. When we are quiet about mental health and fitness, we allow stigma to continue. That silence makes it harder for people to prioritize their own mental well-being.

Here are several ideas to promote mental health awareness within your community.

Speak up for yourself

How often do you see someone take a mental health day? And how often do you see them being honest about it? Many of us feel like our physical well-being is more important than our mental well-being. We take a day off when we're sick, but not when we're feeling emotionally drained or exhausted. The next time you take time off, be honest with your team that you're taking the time for your mental well-being. When you participate in self-advocacy for your mental health, you're empowering others to do the same. You'll likely inspire others to do the same.

Learn more about mental health

Take the time to learn about mental health and mental fitness . But beyond that, learn how to differentiate the two. Learn about common mental health conditions, signs of burnout , and how to take care of yourself when you're experiencing symptoms. It can be helpful to keep an eye on your own warning signs to know when you're starting to get triggered or overwhelmed. If you find resources that may benefit others, share them with those around you.

Talk to a coach

One of my favorite things about working for BetterUp is that every person here has a coach. Whether I'm talking to a manager, a colleague, someone in another department, or an executive, it's common for us to share stories or insights from our coaching sessions . At BetterUp, we truly have a culture of personal development and mental fitness. It's perfectly acceptable to take time for the Inner Work® that makes our outer work sustainable and more successful. 

Mental health isn't just a conversation for people dealing with mental health disorders. It impacts our social, emotional, physical, and cognitive well-being .

Unfortunately, many people don't receive the treatment that they need because of the stigma associated with mental health. Some don't even realize that treatment is available. When these people suffer quietly, they feel lonely and disenfranchised.  We miss out on their brilliance.

Every year, suicide is one of the top three causes of death in the United States. And it's been on the rise in recent years. This is true for all economic classes, ethnicities, and genders, although some groups are at a markedly higher risk. Every suicide is a tragedy. Death by suicide comes at a high cost. Not only does it warrant financial losses it’s, more importantly, devastating for the survivors of the person who died.

We never truly know how our actions impact another person, but if raising awareness can save a life, it is a truly worthwhile endeavor. 

You don’t have to do it alone. Organizations and resources are here (and waiting) to help. Lean on the mental health providers below for support — or pass them along to a loved one who might be struggling.

• Call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) helpline : 800-950-NAMI or text “NAMI” to 741471 
• Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline : 800-273-8455 or dial 988 
• Call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) : 800-662-HELP (4537) 

You can also find support groups that might help to connect with people living with shared experiences. For example, some support groups specialize in certain conditions like schizophrenia, anxiety, depression , and substance use disorders. As always, consult your doctor or trained mental health professional as well. It’s important to keep your medical team informed of how you’re feeling. Your overall health and well-being is critically important.

Ready for personal growth?

Whether it's overcoming challenges or reaching your full potential, our coaches are here to help.

Allaya Cooks-Campbell

With over 15 years of content experience, Allaya Cooks Campbell has written for outlets such as ScaryMommy, HRzone, and HuffPost. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and is a certified yoga instructor as well as a certified Integrative Wellness & Life Coach. Allaya is passionate about whole-person wellness, yoga, and mental health.

Did COVID-19 change us for better or for worse?

Tools for allyship and dealing with trauma and grief, from mental health to mental fitness: raise the bar on employee well-being, the special grief of the holiday season, mental health stigma: examples and 4 ways to fight it, the best mental health podcasts to listen to any time, is poor mental health and well-being contagious, the mental health and money cycle (and 8 tips to help break it), how to recognize mental abuse, and why it's not your fault, similar articles, how do mental health and behavioral health differ, men’s mental health: why resilience is bigger than invulnerability, 15 mental health nonprofits working to close the mental health care gap, understanding the mental health journey — and how to read the map, did support seeking become "normal", seeking help for your mental health is brave. and beneficial, debt and mental health: your guide to reducing financial anxiety, living with depression: 3 tips to start coping today, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform Overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care™
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case Studies
• Why BetterUp?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Life Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Labs
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

• Essay Database >
• Essay Examples >
• Essays Topics >
• Essay on Health

Mental Health Awareness Program Essay Examples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Health , Knowledge , Disease , Students , Disorders , Teaching , Psychology , Education

Words: 1600

Published: 01/04/2020

ORDER PAPER LIKE THIS

Synopsis: The following article consists of a weekly program that has been scheduled in the ‘Sacred Heart Senior Secondary College’ for promoting ‘Mental Health Awareness’. The students in collaboration with their teachers have been enthusiastic about this program since it is a connotation of the various mental illnesses that are present and the means by which we can together help individuals affected by the disorders to overcome them. Hence the article comprises of a list of activities which will be performed within and outside the school premises just so that awareness can be spread amongst not only the students and teachers but also other individuals from different schools and societies.

Mental health awareness has become one of the most important steps at ensuring that an affected individual can be treated in case he/she suffers from some mental illness. Unlike other body afflictions, mental disorders are different in terms of cause and origin. One of the best means of eradicating mental health illnesses should be through understanding and compassion. Before medications, taking care of the individual is of utmost importance. There was a time when such afflicted victims would be shunned in the society and treated as blight however with neurosurgeons and psychotherapists who’ve been working on their research regarding various mental illnesses have today diagnosed such disorders to being brain malfunctions which can occur due to genetic transmission or a traumatic past that could deal with physical abuse, loss of a loved one etc. The brain in this case stops responding to the natural environment i.e. the victim shows symptoms of being psychotically unsound and unhealthy. (“Systems Of care: Evaluation Update”, 2010). Sacred Heart has since years been a part of many non-profit organizations and itself has spontaneously planned several health awareness programs where the school and the students together provide useful information with respect to the disorder and the means to prevent it. Hence the school which is brimming with potential and eager candidates shows passionate reserve to overcome such health disorders by adopting methods of spreading awareness and launching marathons just so that the awareness program can be progressively initiated.

About the Mental Health Awareness Program:

We’ve together felt the need to initiate this movement where the people’s response with respect to ‘Mental Awareness’ is extremely important. In today’s world where lives of students and adults are completely submerged within the walls of books, exams and work we’ve forgotten about our soul priorities hence the need for the campaign. Our students from different classes have been eager to participate in this week’s activities which will consist of lectures, music concerts, cooking shows and various other activities each sketching the basis of some mental illness. Specifically the mental disorders that shall be discussed and analyzed during the activities will be respectively: 1. Psychotic Disorder 2. Personality Disorder 3. Eating Disorders 4. Anxiety Disorders 5. Dissociative Disorder Even though there are plenty other disorders however from each category displayed above a particular disorder will be talked about during the lectures which shall be given each day to seven different classes. The classes which shall be participating in the activities will consist of students from 3rd grade to 12th grade. Here is a thorough format of the various activities which shall be performed every day of the coming week when we shall be commencing the awareness program in our campus. (“National mental health awareness campaign”, 2012) 1. Monday: Involves two lectures and a drama show which is being performed by the students of grade 8. Both the lectures will be conducted under class 12th and will consist of an introduction regarding the various types of disorders that are present. The aim of the speeches initially is to introduce the senior students these illnesses since during the end of the program, they’ll be entertained by real documentations which have been filmed for better understanding. The storyline focuses upon the relationship between the father and his daughter who faces an insecure life at school. Under peer pressure and the constant need to be approved and loved by all, she forces herself to completely stop eating. (“Mental Health awareness week, University of Windsor”, 2011) The aim of this skit is to make children especially of the adolescent period to understand certain methods of dealing with peer pressure and not giving in to compulsions that can harm one’s health and relationships with our parents. Tuesday: There will be a rally authorized by the 12th graders which involves students from different classes’ right from 7th- 12th moving across their entire campus with slogans. Our students will encounter individuals who’re suffering from mental illnesses like ‘Autism’, ‘OBC’, ‘Schizophrenia’ etc hence be able to obtain guidance and knowledge regarding how such individuals live. Another important lesson would be the means of adapting to their behaviour and still be able to show love, concern and patience even if their illness forces them to initiate actions unconsciously.

The slogans will consist of the following headings:

1. ‘Understanding Comes First, Then Comes Cure’ 2. ‘Fight the Illness Not the Person’ 3. ‘Love Them Because They’re Special’ 4. ‘Mental Illnesses Deserve Recognition’ 5. ‘Just Because He’s Crazy, He’s Still Human’ The rally will also be consisting of points where three students will be giving an introduction regarding the various mental disorders that can affect individuals. The second focuses upon the causes of the mental afflictions. The third student will talk about the importance of ‘Mental Health Awareness’ hence specifies the need for people to learn more about mental illnesses. (“University of Guelph, Mental health awareness”, 2012) 3. Wednesday: This day will only comprise of a music concert or a musical which is being organized only for mentally challenged children. We’ve been lucky enough to obtain the assistance of the medical care centres who’ve offered to allow these children to visit our school for this wonderful exhibition that we’ve planned. The musical will cover individuals suffering from ‘EDNOS’, ‘Kleptomania’, ‘Adult Antisocial Disorder’, ‘Borderline Personality Disorder’ and ‘Dysthemia’. The aim is to teach students about the respective illnesses that have been mentioned above. Apart from that at the end of the musical, all the actors playing victims to mental illnesses are shown love, compassion and care by the performing doctors hence this way the children who’re visiting the musical can get an idea regarding how special they care. This way they’ll feel that we the students of Sacred Heart respect and love them. 4. Thursday: On this day Professor James Walbridge, a renowned psychologist has agreed to have a ‘chat’ as he so calls it with the students of 9th grade and 12th grade. He will be discussing his opinions regarding the various mental diseases as well as sharing parts of his experiences in the past while dealing with his victims. Friday: The school authorities have agreed on allowing the students from class 6th – 12th grade to watch a movie once the lectures end. This way the students can actually empathize with the victims in order to truly understand the symptom and the cause of the illness. Hence with this entire script regarding the various activities that we’ve outlined as a part of our ‘Mental Health Awareness Program’ we hope that our audience will enjoy the entire program and learn some important details regarding the various psychological related syndromes. Our aim has been to participate as well as spread information regarding the various kinds of mental syndromes and the means of treating them. We hope that those who’ve taken an interest in the Conclusion: After undergoing study and research, our school wishes to collaborate further with more institutes and foundations such that mental health awareness can be increased at a larger scale. This being our first project is simply the initial starting point that will trigger the hearts of our students and teachers into understanding mentally afflicted children. Those who probably never had an idea about mental illnesses and the means by which we can combat such disorders will be able to provide help instead of mockery to those who’re suffering from it. (“CTV ca News”, 2012) At the end, no matter what the illness might be, it becomes our responsibility to ensure that people who become victims to the terrible mental illnesses must be handled with care and love. Instead of making fun of them, isolating them or agitating them, we must take steps to contribute our assistance in understanding such mentally challenged beings and thus help them overcome their illnesses.

References:

Systems Of care: Evaluation Update (2010). Awareness day turns five: caring for every child’s mental health. March 2010. Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/children/evalupdate.pdf Mental Health awareness week, University of Windsor (2011). 2 February 2011. Retrieved from http://www.uwindsor.ca/scc/mentalhealthawarenessweek0 National mental health awareness campaign (2012). Retrieved from http://www.nostigma.org/ Canadian mental health association (2012). October 2012. Retrieved from http://www.cmha.ca/ University of Guelph, Mental health awareness (2012). Retrieved from http://www.uoguelph.ca/counselling/awareness/ Margetts E. (2009). Canadian Teacher Magazine. “Beautiful minds, A mental health awareness program”. September 2009. Retrieved from http://www.canadianteachermagazine.com/ctm_life_skills/sep09_beautiful_minds.shtml CTV ca News (2012). “Let’s Talk Day, aims to foster mental health awareness”. 19 May 2012. Retrieved from http://www.ctvnews.ca/let-s-talk-day-aims-to-foster-mental-health-awareness-1.605755

Cite this page

Share with friends using:

Removal Request

Finished papers: 2225

This paper is created by writer with

ID 285307349

If you want your paper to be:

Well-researched, fact-checked, and accurate

Original, fresh, based on current data

Eloquently written and immaculately formatted

275 words = 1 page double-spaced

Get your papers done by pros!

Other Pages

Free james baldwins view of personal liberation with jamaica kincaids term paper example, example of essay on long term investment decisions, contribution of christianity in a pluralistic culture research paper sample, good example of accounting research paper, barbara strozzi a courtesan or a talented composer research paper sample, free factors influencing disease self management among veterans with diabetes and poor essay sample, religion in the middle ages and the renaissance essays example, leadership coaching and mentoring essay examples, good two spirited individuals essay example, free the bomb essay example, the architecture of the pantheon term papers examples, free q 1 would you like to have some bar bq items in your meals essay sample, ukraine vs russia research paper examples, the phantom of the opera at royal albert hall essay example, operations and production management essays examples, good essay about gmo brings dangerous side effects and unhealthy on the human body and as well as, belief system term paper samples, initial search essays, media attention essays, buffalo news essays, buffalo state essays, comes back essays, parallel ata essays, peaceful demonstrations essays, billy pilgrim essays, bombing of dresden essays, calpis essays, mind control essays, cultivation theory essays, math exam essays, christian smith essays, beautiful things essays, airline deregulation essays, advertising to children college essays, love at first sight college essays, spinal cord injury college essays, neurodegeneration college essays, fossil record college essays, jean kilbourne college essays, cleve college essays, hebrew bible college essays, software industry college essays.

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

Mental Health Advocacy Academy

Applications for the fall are open until june 1.

• apply today

Scroll for more

67% of young adults

tell a friend they are struggling before telling anyone else

1.8 million

people reached directly last year

will experience a mental health condition in our lifetime

2024 Mental Health Conference

Mental health matters, right then don't miss out on this exciting chance for young adults like you to come together, share ideas, and lead the charge for mental health advocacy..

Register Now

The Your Voice is Your Power Podcast

New mental health advocacy podcast featuring conversations to inspire and equip yourself to be a stronger advocate. available now on all major platforms..

Check It Out

Active Minds Store

The store is back up and open there are three new shirts and, of course, the very popular graduation cords. and, as a bonus, showing off your active minds gear contributes to our shared mental health advocacy passions.

Browse the Latest

Cause + Career

It is mental health awareness month and the end of another school year. there is no better time to explore the possibilities of transforming your mental health passion into a career. cause + career is here to help you get started or keep going..

Take the Next Step

Your Voice Is Your Power Resource Hub

A mental health resource hub designed for youth and young adults who are looking to begin or continue their journey as a mental health leader. equip yourself to drive change at your school and in your community..

Check Out the Resources

A.S.K. Acknowledge, Support, Keep-in-Touch

Coming next week(), in partnership with mtv and mental health is health, active minds is a.s.k.: acknowledge, support, keep-in-touch, a resource to help engage with your peers by doing three simple things..

Mental Health in the “Year of the Girl”

Let girls be girls: navigating the maze of girls’ mental health.

“There seems to be a pop culture shift happening. The word “girl” has gone from once being used as a schoolyard insult to an everyday compliment with phrases like “That’s so girl,” its own budgeting strategy with “girl math,” an exercise with “hot girl walks,” and even 2023 being marked as the  “Year of the Girl.”  Young girls can now watch Barbie and see a woman as president or listen to Beyoncé and hear the most decorated Grammy-winning performing artist of all time. However, through all of this, it seems  America Ferrera’s Oscar-nominated monologue  from the recent Barbie movie still rings true. With feelings of  persistent sadness  and  anxiety  at an all-time high for teen girls in  what has been identified as a crisis , girls’ mental health has never been important to discuss and understand.”

host an online active minds mental health event

Book active minds mental health speakers for private or public online events.

Click below to learn how you can bring Active Minds’ mental health resources to your online community!

young adult mental health     We know from Active Minds’ mental health survey that 74% of high school students report having experienced stress or anxiety as a result of COVID-19. So, we wanted to reach out to them directly to learn more. We invite you to watch this short video by students, for students. Then share their message far and wide: it is okay to not be okay.

No one should have to struggle alone

• sign up to join the Active Minds movement

Making Change Happen

• presence in 1,000 schools, workplaces, and communities
• 4,006 mental health events
• 1,950,000 people reached in person

How to be there for:

• A Family Member
• Your Students
• Your Employees

What's happening now

From the blog.

May 3, 2024

You Don’t Have to Be an Expert

Apr 29, 2024

What is MEASURE?

Apr 19, 2024

Harmonizing Wellness: Music Therapy Tips for Mental Health

Help save a life.

I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Active Minds.

Thank you to our partners for their support

Active Minds is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization promoting mental health awareness and education for young adults.

Health Awareness Essay

Introduction.

When our children fall sick, we immediately call a doctor or rush to a nearby hospital. These children are lucky because they have ample means and resources to get themselves treated. Do you know that some unfortunate ones do not realise that they are ill and deny treatment? Here lies the importance of the health awareness essay, as it will help our kids to understand the issues that revolve around health.

Although we have an efficient healthcare system, it is disheartening to know that every citizen does not get access to it. People fail to comprehend health issues in them and eventually do not receive treatment on time. Through this short essay on health awareness, we can familiarise ourselves with such issues and see how we can create health awareness.

Related essay: World Health Day essay

Importance of Health Awareness

Even while we do not have any illness or injury, it is essential to do a thorough checkup to identify any serious problems in our health. Maintaining good health is important for all, which is emphasised in this health awareness essay.

Though we stress that health is wealth, not everyone pays much attention to it. A slight delay in treatment or simple carelessness could cost your life, and this is why people should have proper health awareness. The short essay on health awareness focuses on how we can prevent the issues of lack of treatment or healthcare facilities.

Some people do not know if they have any diseases, and they continue living in ignorance till their health situation turns severe. Hence, it is necessary that we educate them about different diseases, their symptoms and treatment options, as well as raise their awareness about health. In this way, they will be motivated to make the right decisions regarding their health.

Ways to Raise Health Awareness

As we have discussed the importance of health awareness in the previous section, we will now see how we can raise awareness of this topic through the short essay on health awareness. We might have come across many awareness days like World AIDS Day, World Polio Day, World Hepatitis Day etc., each year, which are aimed to promote health and call attention to various health problems. These awareness programmes impart a better understanding of several communicable diseases and how we can prevent them.

The health awareness essay also highlights the significance of making people realise the value of physical, mental and social health. While it is easy for us to discover physical health problems through symptoms, mental health awareness is often overlooked. Organising campaigns is an effective way to raise awareness among people. Through vaccination drives and by arranging workshops and seminars, we can reach people and inspire them to improve their lifestyles and habits for their good health.

The short essay on health awareness can be a learning tool for children to understand more about the topic. To discover more interesting essays from BYJU’S, keep an eye on our website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Health Awareness Essay

What is meant by health awareness.

In basic terms, health awareness is the knowledge regarding one’s health. It can be described as the awareness of various health problems, symptoms and treatment options.

What is the significance of the health awareness essay for children?

The health awareness essay will be useful for children to know about various health concerns and preventive measures, which will empower them to keep themselves healthy by following the right regime.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

• Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

• High contrast
• UNICEF parenting
• Become a donor
• Work for UNICEF
• Avoid fraud
• Press Centre

Search UNICEF

#onmymind: better mental health for every child in south africa, every child deserves to grow up in loving, nurturing and safe environments..

Every child has the right to grow up in a loving, nurturing and safe environment, with supportive relationships and access to quality mental health and psychosocial support.

Unfortunately this is not the case for many children and young people in South Africa.

Children and adolescents face numerous challenges – including individual, social, and environmental factors – that impact their mental wellbeing. Not feeling safe, exposure to high levels of community violence, child maltreatment and gender-based violence are some of the factors that have a significant impact on the wellbeing of children and adolescents. 

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the mental health burden that young people face. A U-Report South Africa poll in 2022 found that some 73 per cent of children and young people felt they needed mental health support in 2022. The disruption to young people’s routines, education, recreation, as well as concern for family income and health, has left many young people feeling afraid, angry depressed and anxious about the future.

While the mental health crisis is critical, there are also reasons for hope.

The same U-Report poll found that 38 per cent of those who felt they needed mental health support actively sought help and a further 67 per cent of respondents stepped up to support a friend’s mental wellbeing.

A key pillar that guides UNICEF’s work in South Africa is a commitment to ending all forms of violence – from prevention and early intervention to improving the mental and physical wellbeing of young people. Parenting programmes and early childhood development form a core part of the response to give every child the best start in life.

This page aims to support YOU across four areas of action – seeking help, shifting the narrative, understanding, and having the conversation.

Seeking help

Being aware of when you need support and knowing where to go for help is the first step. UNICEF – with support from META – ran a 2023 mental health campaign on Facebook that reached more than 17,5 million people in South Africa with coping tips and the counselling service contact numbers for our partner, Childline, as well as the South African Depression and Anxiety Group ( SADAG ).

Shifting the narrative

“Growing up in a black community I had to denounce the “men don't cry” words from my system and that helped let go of a lot of past pains I had bottled up inside." Youth reporter

With our partner  Radio Workshop  we trained 117 youth reporters across nine sites on radio fundamentals and mental health. Youth reporters are leading the mental health conversation through live radio shows and outreach. A total of 184 radio shows have been produced exploring a wide range of mental health sub-topics and engaging with listeners through call-ins and on social media. A survey conducted with 445 listeners found that 81 per cent heard a youth reporter speak on the topic of mental health and of these, 86 per cent said they learnt some new information while listening. Most respondents believe that the youth reporters’ shows can help them better cope in stressful situations, by talking more freely about mental health challenges with people in their community and helping to reduce stigma around mental health.

Radio production guides: Adolescent mental health

Files available for download (2), understanding.

Covered • Clean • Caring

The Covered, Clean and Caring  (3Cs) programme – initially designed to stop the spread of COVID-19 – has been updated with mental health resources and training materials for hosting dialogues about mental health.

For educators and learners across 151 schools and orphans and vulnerable children centres, the Caring module introduced an “entirely new” conversation. Learners explore what mental health is and what signs and feelings to be aware of to assess your own mental health. Learners who participated in the 3Cs campaign were more likely to have had discussions about mental health than those who did not and participants also demonstrated a broader understanding of how to look after their mental wellbeing.

Covered • Clean • Caring - version 2

Files available for download (6).

COVID-19: Covered • Clean • Caring - version 1.0

U-report mental health chatbot.

U-Report is a free platform for youth participation and is designed to address issues that young people care about. Providing information in response to a range of issues that young people have raised, including mental health, U-Report has created an easy-to-use chatbot.

Having the conversation

Check • Connect • Care

This programme focused on a mental health project with the school community in the Eastern Cape. The  Check, Connect and Care   materials were used to train 39 facilitators from 24 schools and helped parents, caregivers and community members to understand more about the mental health difficulties that their children experience, and what they can do to help. Mental health dialogues engaged children, teachers and parents to open up discussions about the mental health challenges that young people face and how adults in the community can support them. The dialogue resources contain fun-filled activities designed to encourage people to explore how they can care for one another and how they can identify and look after their own mental wellbeing.

Files available for download (3)

#OnMyMind: Better mental health for every child

Get help now.

Want to know more about mental health?

Follow the links below to access the U-report Mental Health chatbot:

• Telegram  

On WhatsApp/Telegram:

• Save the U-Report number  +27 83 283 8313  as U-Report SA,
• send the keyword  INFO  and
• follow the prompts to the mental health chat bot.

Speak to a counsellor in South Africa

Childline: 116

Suicide Crisis helpline: 0800 567 567

Department of Social Development Substance Abuse helpline: 0800 12 13 14 or SMS 32312

Cipla Mental Health helpline: 0800 456 789 or SMS 31393

NPOwer SA helpline: 0800 515 515 or SMS 43010

Healthcare Workers Care Network helpline: 0800 21 21 21 or SMS 43001

Adcock Ingram Depression & Anxiety helpline: 0800 70 80 90

ADHD helpline: 0800 55 44 33

WhatsApp numbers:

Cipla Mental Health: 076 882 2775

Maybelline BraveTogether: 087 163 2030

Ke Moja Substance Abuse: 087 163 2025

Learn more about mental health

Mental health and well-being.

Tips and resources to help you support your child and yourself

Every child deserves to grow up in loving, nurturing and safe environments

Let’s talk about mental health

How can young people take care of their mental health? Youth advocates share tips

Cyberbullying: What is it and how to stop it

What teens want to know about cyberbullying

More to explore

U-report south africa.

Voice Matters

My emotional Anchor!

Reflections on mental health by a UNICEF Volunteer

New research reveals children’s relationship with news on social media

73 per cent of youth needed mental health support over past year

Transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses.

Información en español

Celebrating 75 Years

Research. discovery. hope..

Explore our Events and Stories ​

Health Topics

• Anxiety Disorders
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Eating Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Suicide Prevention
• More Topics

Featured Topics

Director’s Message: The Importance of Lived Experience Perspectives – Insights From the IACC

FY 2024 Budget Fact Sheet

Mental Health Awareness Month

Science updates.

Understanding the Underpinnings of Sensory Hypersensitivity

Gene-Based Therapy for Timothy Syndrome

Accelerating Science to Improve Early Autism Screening

Meetings and events, nimh intramural research program training opportunities, workshop: discrimination and mental health disparities, promoting mental health for sexual and gender minority youth.

Director of NIMH

Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.

NIMH Strategic Plan

Read about our plan for the institute's research priorities.

Inside NIMH

Funding News for Current and Future NIMH Awardees.

Find NIMH funding opportunities and announcements, including those specific to clinical research and training, and learn more about NIMH funding strategies, the application process, and grants management.

Finding Treatment

If you or someone you know has a mental illness, there are ways to get help. Use these resources to find help for yourself, a friend, or a family member.

Join A Study

Learn more about how to participate in outpatient and inpatient studies at the NIH Clinical Center, a hospital dedicated to the highest quality research.

Featured Resources

Brochures and Fact Sheets

Explore NIMH brochures and fact sheets. En español .

Learn more about our research areas, policies, resources, and initiatives.

Investigators

Learn more about scientists, physicians, and clinicians in NIMH’s Division of Intramural Research Programs (IRP).

Learn more about Research Domain Criteria Initiative (RDoC), a research framework that supports new ways of studying mental disorders.

Social Media

Connect with Us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Support for Clinical Trials

Learn more about clinical trials and funding opportunity announcements.

Mental Health Awareness Month: Addressing Underdiscussed Mental Health Issues in the Black Community

SDI Productions

When Amanda Seales revealed in her much-discussed interview with Shannon Sharpe that she had autism––an assessment she soon elaborated that was a self-diagnosis, the reactions were swift and not all kind. To be sure, many a doctor will tell you that it’s unwise and unhelpful to determine we have a condition based on our own research, and while Seales’ personal health situation is nobody’s business but hers, she did open the door to a wider conversation. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month , a time devoted to expanding education about mental health issues and reducing stigma. And while Black Americans are steadily overcoming long-standing barriers and stigmas about getting mental health care, we still have a ways to go. Practically everybody knows a little bit about anxiety, depression, and maybe even generational trauma. However, there are more conditions, such as autism, that still aren’t discussed as much, let alone diagnosed, in the Black community. Here are some mental health conditions that Black therapists say could use greater understanding and acceptance of. 

Research about autism, especially in adults , is growing. Still, in the general sense, autism is a broad range of conditions that can include challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication, according to the group Autism Speaks. It’s typically diagnosed in children –– about 1 in 36 have it, although reported cases have increased over the years –– but, since it’s a broad spectrum in itself, understanding what it looks like in adults is growing too. Research also says it’s more common among Black and Hispanic kids , making it all the more reason to increase education about it and reduce stigma in our community. “We have not been informed about it, or don't know what that is, and I've seen our elders that a child is being rude or misbehaving,” says Dr. Thema Bryant , a psychologist. “So they can respond in this harsh way; they might say the parents don’t have good control over their child.” She cites an example of an autistic girl in church who put her hands over her ears and was rocking back and forth when the choir got really loud since autism can present as sensory issues. “Some of the mothers of the church start trying to reprimand her, thinking it’s offensive for her to cover up her ears while the choir is singing. So the awareness raising piece is so important, not only to think about it for families themselves, but for our community, so we can respond with compassionate support.” 

Mental Health Awareness Month: Dr. Thema Bryant Explores Mental Health Challenges in the Black Community

Vernon and Venice Moore , Black therapists based in Connecticut, say they’re seeing more Black parents at least open to hearing about potential autism in their children, yet most haven’t been ready to go at it with a full-force plan. And Vernon says that, as with Seales, he’s seen more adults self-diagnosing themselves with it, which he doesn’t recommend. “As the mental health conversation has become a little less taboo, people are seeing traits and symptoms, and characteristics of autism, and then say, ‘Well, that's me.’ But there are traits and characteristics and symptoms of all types of mental health challenges that we all experienced, that doesn't necessarily mean that we're at a diagnosis of it. You have to be careful with that because if we look at somebody who really does have autism, versus somebody who has self diagnosed, their functioning in challenges are probably a lot different.” 

ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is another condition that’s commonly misunderstood and erroneously self-diagnosed; we’ve all heard someone say, “I’m so ADHD” because they misplaced their keys. But, as with autism, ADHD can manifest in many varying ways (although difficulty concentrating and fidgeting often are some hallmarks). ADHD often comes with emotional challenges, problems regulating mood, reckless behavior, and impulsivity, from blurting out things at inappropriate times to taking needless risks.  Black people are significantly more likely not to be diagnosed, as an article in Howard University’s magazine notes. The Moores say awareness is increasing, although much more learning needs to happen, and they often hesitate to treat it. Vernon says that among people with an ADHD loved one, frustration can set in. “Those with ADHD really do have the mindset of trying to do everything to the best of their ability. But other people may not have had patience with someone who's struggling with ADHD. And if that's not something that's talked about, or something that somebody knows, then that can lead to conflict.” Venice says she often sees Black clients skeptical of medication. “When it comes to medication [professional of color in her office], it’s often like, ‘Hey, you're not alone in this,’ and letting them know you can try [medication]. It doesn't mean that something's wrong with you. It's just something that could support you.” 

Borderline Personality Disorder  

“In the last few years,” says Venice, “there's more conversation around gaslighting, narcissistic behavior, and personality disorder. It's out there without really having the understanding behind it––it’s something you see in Lifetime movies.” Of all the under-discussed mental health issues out there, borderline personality disorder is certainly one of the more stigmatized; it’s one of the conditions people might unkindly lump in the realm of “crazy” without understanding what’s really going on. It can manifest as ​​emotional instability, impulsivity, wide-ranging swings in mood, explosive anger, and sudden infatuation with others, only to abandon those feelings quickly. Venice says this can look like bipolar disorder, but with talk therapy and counseling, patients can get an accurate diagnosis and help. “Truth be told, it is in our community,” she says. “And I've had few clients with borderline personality disorder who just weren't aware that this is actually what they had. Once we dive into really what was happening and what the behaviors look like, it is different from bipolar disorder.” 

All these issues, therapists say, can be treated to help a person heal and thrive, but you can’t fix what you can’t address. So that’s why everyone must show compassion to people struggling, including ourselves, without stigma or shame and seek professional support if needed. “The people in your life are a mirror,” she says. “They show you you. Your behaviors are going to show up, whether you're diagnosed or not, so don't be resistant. Look at it like, ‘Ok, I'm finally showing up and getting the help I need.’” 

Some resources for help 

Need some help? Here are a few resources to get support. 

Black Therapists Rock  

Therapy for Black Men  

Therapy for Black Girls  

Therapy in Color  

Latest News

Travis Scott and Kanye West Team Up On Cactus Jack Campaign

Gary Owen's Ex-Wife, Kenya Duke, Calls Him Out After Discussing Their Broken Relationship on ‘Club Shay Shay’

Ten Songs That Celebrate Motherhood

Celebrating Kenan Thompson at 46: A Journey from Nickelodeon to 'SNL' Legend

This Week In Good Black News: Martin Lawrence Announces New Stand-Up Tour, Issa Rae Partners With Tubi To Develop Aspiring Filmmakers, and Bronny James Will Participate In NBA Draft Combine

New Music Friday: Check Out These Fire Tracks From Megan Thee Stallion, Andra Day, and Gunna

Subscribe for bet updates, provide your email address to receive our newsletter..

By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy . You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Mental Health — Persuasive On Mental Health

Persuasive on Mental Health

• Categories: Mental Health

About this sample

Words: 591 |

Published: Mar 19, 2024

Words: 591 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, the stigma surrounding mental health, the economic cost of ignoring mental health, the connection between mental health and physical health, prevention and early intervention.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Nursing & Health

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 608 words

1 pages / 550 words

2 pages / 712 words

3 pages / 1305 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Mental Health

Mental health has become an increasingly important topic that deserves attention and awareness. It is a critical aspect of overall health and well-being that affects individuals, communities, and society as a whole. The purpose [...]

As a college student, it is crucial to understand the complexities surrounding mental health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is "a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her [...]

Mental health stigma is a pervasive issue that has long hindered individuals from seeking the help they need and perpetuated damaging stereotypes and misconceptions. In this comprehensive essay, we will delve deeply into the [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has swept across the globe, has not only caused physical health concerns but has also had a profound impact on mental health. This essay, titled "How Does COVID-19 Affect Mental Health," delves [...]

Despite being a common term in today’s society, mental illness is still underdiagnosed by physicians. It is projected that less than half of the individuals who meet diagnostic criteria for psychological conditions are actually [...]

J.D. Salinger was a literary giant despite his slim body of work and reclusive lifestyle. His landmark novel, The Catcher in the Rye, set a new course for literature in post-WWII America and vaulted Salinger to the heights of [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Are you in a crisis? Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741

¿Estás en una crisis? Llama o envía un mensaje de texto al 988 o envía un mensaje de texto con AYUDA al 741741

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Deepens Awareness of #TalkAwayTheDark and Launches New Guide to Have Difficult Conversations During Mental Health Awareness Month

May 1, 2024 – 5 min read

NEW YORK (May 1, 2024) — This Mental Health Awareness Month, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is empowering people to have brave conversations about mental health, and to lean in and ask directly about suicide if struggles are not improving . With suicide continuing to be a serious public health concern, AFSP is building on its breakthrough “ Talk Away the Dark ” PSA campaign which teaches people how to spot the warning signs of suicide, have caring conversations about suicide and mental health, and connect people to help.  

Throughout the month of May, AFSP is hosting and participating in several virtual conversations and events in collaboration with experts, researchers, leading organizations in mental health, and culminating with a special musical conversation with the iconic rock band Papa Roach. These events will deepen understanding of suicide prevention and equip people to support each other, including in the Spanish speaking community.   

This May, AFSP also launched a new guide in its signature #RealConvo Guides series. The #RealConvo guides provide tools for starting and continuing conversations about mental health and suicide prevention. They cover everyday topics such as how to caringly talk to a survivor of suicide loss, reach out for help when you need it, ask directly if you suspect someone may be at risk, and respond if someone tells you they are having thoughts of suicide. To further assist people in having these brave conversations, AFSP’s new #RealConvo Guide , titled “ Connecting Someone to Help (When They’re Hesitant)”, covers how to :  

• Validate the fears and feelings of a person in crisis  
• Let the person know you hear them  
• Reassure them there is no shame in getting help  
• Respond to common hesitations such as, “Therapy’s not for me,” I don’t have insurance,” “I don’t want to be forced into hospitalization,” and more  
• Successfully connect the person to crisis resources, such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  
• Sensitively check back in on the person after a crisis   

“You don’t need to be a mental health expert to have a meaningful and helpful conversation about mental health and suicide,” said AFSP Chief Executive Officer Bob Gebbia . “At AFSP, nurturing these conversations is part of our everyday efforts, but we are especially excited to spotlight their importance through resources and events taking place this Mental Health Awareness Month. By equipping people with tools to start and sustain mental health discussions with our #RealConvo guides, we hope to remind people that starting a conversation, checking in regularly, and making sure people are connected to help can be lifesaving actions.”   

AFSP, i n partnership with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), commissioned a 2022 Harris Poll , that surveyed public attitudes toward suicide prevention and mental health. The poll found that 96% of adults in the U.S. would take action if someone were thinking about suicide and that 83% were interested in learning how they might be able to play a role in helping someone who may be suicidal . “Connecting Someone to Help (When They’re Hesitant)” will meet this strong desire for education and tools to act by showing how you can follow your instinct, reach out when you recognize the warning signs for suicide and #TalkAwayTheDark to connect someone experiencing a mental health crisis to support.  

For more learning opportunities and ways to get involved during May and beyond, tune into an upcoming AFSP virtual event:  

• May 2, 2 pm ET, Mental Health Parity: Know Your Rights, Protections, and Resources: AFSP Senior Manager of Federal Policy Bill White, and Senior Benefits Advisor at the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Carmen De Luna, will talk about The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA), also known as the parity law. This federal law requires that health insurers/plans offering mental health and substance use disorder benefits and services provide coverage at the same level (comparable) as care for physical health.  Learn more here .  
• May 16, 1 pm ET, “Ask Dr. Jill”: AFSP Senior Vice President of Research, Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman answers questions about how to help someone who might be hesitant to receive support. This event is in partnership with The Mighty. Tune in here .  
• May 20, 4 pm ET, Protecting Veteran’s Mental Health: Tune in to this live discussion on AFSP’s Facebook and YouTube channels to hear AFSP Senior Federal Policy Manager Bill White, and AFSP Michigan Chapter Volunteer Ian Perry, discuss the policies we can all support and the role everyone can play in protecting Veteran’s mental health.  
• May 22, Noon – 1 pm ET, Learn About Effective Treatments That Help Hispanic and Latine Youth Who Struggle with Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: Join AFSP’s Florida and Puerto Rico Chapters for a virtual conversation with leading suicide prevention researcher Dr. Duarté-Vélez about effective treatments for youth experiencing suicidal ideation and behaviors, as well as the role we can all play in preventing youth suicide. Register here . (This conversation will be in Spanish only)  
• May 23, 1 pm ET, Overcoming Loneliness and Isolation Twitter Chat: The Presence of Mind initiative, led by Kaiser Permanente, will team up with AFSP, NAMI, and other mental health nonprofit organizations to engage in a Twitter/X Chat to encourage young adults to gain a better understanding of mental health and provide tools for overcoming feelings of loneliness. Tune in here .  
• May 28 th , Noon ET, Mental Health and the Queer Community: Join AFSP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, for an Instagram live conversation with the National LGBTQ Task Force. The conversation will focus on the importance of prioritizing mental health within the Queer community and resources for those who might be struggling.  
• May 30, 4 pm ET, Talk Away the Dark: A Musical Conversation with Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach: Tune in to AFSP’s YouTube and Facebook channels to hear rock legend Jacoby Shaddix and AFSP’s Director of Writing and Entertainment Brett Wean, discuss mental health and the healing power of music.   

More information about how to engage in meaningful conversations about mental health can be found at afsp.org/realconvo .  

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss . AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a public policy office in Washington, DC, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube , LinkedIn and TikTok .     

Please fill out this press request form with media inquiries and review AFSP’s Ethical Reporting Tips .  

Connection makes a difference

Sign up to learn more about afsp’s programs, events, and the actions you can take to help prevent suicide..

A first name is required. Please enter your first name here.

A last name is required. Please enter your last name here.

An email address is required. Please enter your email here.

Thank you for subscribing. Please check your email to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our communications.

We're sorry, but there appears to have been an issue with your submission. Please check your information and try again.

• Account Settings

FEATURED INSIGHTS

• Site-of-care shifts
• Specialty care
• State of the healthcare industry
• The workforce crisis
• Value-based care
• View all featured insights

RESOURCES BY SECTOR

• Digital health
• Health plans
• Hospitals and health systems
• Medical device
• Physicians and medical groups
• Professional services
• View all sectors

NEWS & INSIGHTS

• Daily Briefing
• Radio Advisory
• Advisory Board tools

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

• Research Membership
• Custom Research
• Expert Support
• Advisory Board Fellowship
• On-Demand Courses
• Sponsorship

FEATURED CONTENT

Truly personalized care is possible. here's how to make it a reality..

Learn to navigate 4 key obstacles to improve patient access to innovative care.

• AskAdvisory

Our direct-to-expert service is here to help you navigate your membership, our research, and your most pressing challenges in healthcare. No question is too big or too small.

Are we focusing too much on children's mental health? Some experts say yes.

Mental health has become a major topic in childhood and adolescence, with many schools adopting mental health campaigns. However, some researchers warn that, while these campaigns can help identify disorders in young people who need it, they can have a negative effect on others, Ellen Barry reports for the New York Times .

3 'rate-limiting steps' key to improving our behavioral healthcare system

Why some researchers are concerned about mental health campaigns

Some research on the effectiveness of mental health campaigns has come back with mixed results.

One study , called the My Resilience in Adolescence (MYRIAD) trial, involved 28,000 teenagers over the course of eight years. Half of those teenagers were trained by teachers to direct their attention to the present moment in 10 lessons of 30 to 50 minutes each.

The researchers found there was "no support for our hypothesis" that mindfulness training would improve students' mental health and concluded that students at the highest risk for mental health problems did worse after receiving the training.

The researchers suggested that the training programs were ineffective because they "bring awareness to upsetting thoughts," encouraging students to sit with their more difficult feelings but not providing solutions, especially to societal issues like racism or poverty. The researchers also found the students didn't enjoy the classes and didn't practice at home.

It's also possible the mindfulness training could lead to "co-rumination" — the long, unresolved group discussion that brings up problems without finding any solutions.

By the end of the eight-year trial, "mindfulness is already embedded in a lot of schools, and there are already organizations making money from selling this program to schools," said Lucy Foulkes, a research psychologist at the University of Oxford, who assisted on the study. "And it's very difficult to get the scientific message out there."

Separately, Jack Andrews, another research psychologist at Oxford, led an evaluation of Climate Schools, an intervention in Australia based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy where students watched cartoon characters navigate mental health concerns and then answered questions about practices to improve mental health.

Andrews found that students who took the course reported higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms six months and 12 months later.

Some research has also suggested that it's not necessarily helpful to be able to label mental health symptoms.

Isaac Ahuvia, a doctoral candidate at Stony Brook University, studied 1,423 college students and found that 22% "self-labeled" as having depression, telling the researchers "I am depressed" or "I have depression." However, 39% of the students met the diagnostic criteria for depression.

Ahuvia also found that students who self-labeled felt like they had less control over their depression and were more likely to catastrophize and less likely to put their difficulties in perspective during times of distress compared to peers who had similar symptoms.

Jessica Schleider, co-author of the study and an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University, said this wasn't surprising to her. People who self-label "appear to be viewing depression as a biological inevitability," she said. "People who don't view emotions as malleable, view them as set and stuck and uncontrollable, tend to cope less well because they don't see a point in trying."

Last year, Foulkes and Andrews suggested in a paper that mental health awareness campaigns were contributing to "prevalence inflation," in which the reporting of mild or transient symptoms are being interpreted as mental health disorders.

"It's creating this message that teenagers are vulnerable, they're likely to have problems, and the solution is to outsource them to a professional," Foulkes said.

Until there is high-quality research that clarifies what the negative effects of mental health campaigns are, Foulkes and Andrews argued that schools should proceed with caution.

"It's not that we need to go back to square one, but it's that we need to press pause and reroute potentially," Foulkes said. "It's possible that something very well-intended has overshot a bit and needs to be brought back in."

Other experts push back

The view that mental health awareness programs need to be scaled back is a minority review among specialists, and many experts agree the more urgent issue is a lack of access to treatment, Barry reports. Roughly 60% of young Americans with severe depression do not receive treatment, according to Mental Health America.

Schleider disagreed with the idea that students are overdiagnosing themselves and added that awareness campaigns are bound to help some students and not others. Ultimately, Schleider said, the priority for public health should be reaching the young people in the greatest distress.

"The urgency of the mental health crisis is so clear," she said. "In the partnerships that I have, the emphasis is on the kids truly struggling right now who have nothing — we need to help them — more so than a possible risk for a subset of kids who aren’t really struggling."

It's possible that experts need to look beyond the "universal, school-assembly-style approach" and instead move towards targeted, light-tough interventions, which research has found can be effective at decreasing anxiety and conduct disorders, Schleider said.

"There is a risk of throwing the baby out with the bathwater," Schleider said. "The response can't be 'Forget all of it.' It should be 'What about this intervention was unhelpful?'"

Other researchers agreed, noting that studies have found students benefit from social and emotional learning courses on average, Barry reports.

One meta-analysis of 252 classroom programs in 53 countries, published last year, found that students who participated in the programs performed better academically, displayed better social skills, and showed lower levels of emotional distress or behavioral problems.

"We clearly have not figured out how to do them yet, but I can't imagine any population-based intervention that the field got right the first time," said Andrew Gerber, the president and medical director of Silver Hill Hospital.

"Really, if you think about almost everything we do in schools, we don't have great evidence for it working," he added. "That doesn’t mean we don't do it. It just means that we're constantly thinking about ways to improve it."

Jessica Gold, chief wellness officer for the University of Tennessee system, said the college students she's seeing are noticeably different than they have been in the past, more comfortable speaking about their emotions, and more comfortable with being vulnerable. However, students do often overuse diagnostic terms and believe they can question a psychiatrist's judgment.

"It's sort of a double-edged sword," Gold said. "We want people to talk about this more, but we don't want that to lead to overdiagnosis or incorrect diagnosis or overtreatment. We want it to lead to normalizing of having feelings." (Barry, New York Times , 5/6)

Advisory Board resources on mental health

To learn more about addressing mental health, Advisory Board offers several resources:

This case study looks at how GRAND Mental Health developed an innovative crisis care model that was able to reduce psychiatric inpatient hospitalizations by 93%.

This cheat sheet provides a resource for organizations to learn how to improve care for anxiety disorders and depression in women.

This expert insight explains why incorporating behavioral health into your value-based care strategy might not be as big of a lift as you may think.

This research provides organizations with tactics to advance long-term, equitable change in behavioral health.

This expert insight identifies three nonnegotiable steps that need to be taken in order to improve behavioral healthcare and correct the foundational flaws baked into the system.

Is this content helpful?

Posted on May 10, 2024

Updated on May 10, 2024

3 leaders are driving progress in behavioral healthcare. Here’s how.

5 ways the 2024 MPFS final rule will impact behavioral healthcare

Your behavioral health and VBC strategies should work together. Here's why.

3 ways consumer preferences are driving healthcare facility design

We help leaders and future leaders in the healthcare industry work smarter and faster by providing provocative insights, actionable strategies, and practical tools to support execution.

• All Resources
• Our History
• Legal Disclaimer
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Don't miss out on the latest Advisory Board insights

Create your free account to access 1 resource, including the latest research and webinars.

Want access without creating an account?

You have 1 free members-only resource remaining this month.

1 free members-only resources remaining

You've reached your limit of free insights

Become a member to access all of Advisory Board's resources, events, and experts

Never miss out on the latest innovative health care content tailored to you.

Benefits include:

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

In Crisis? Call or Text 988

Your browser is not supported

Switch to Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

Children’s Mental Health Day is May 9, 2024. For nearly 20 years, SAMHSA has recognized Children’s Mental Health Day to bring attention to the mental health needs of children and young people.

Children and young people in this country are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis; there has been a continued rise in the number diagnosed with anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. An estimated one in five youth has a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder – yet many do not receive the help they need. And these mental health challenges can significantly impact their ability to learn and develop.

In the past three years, during the Biden-Harris Administration, SAMHSA has invested more than $1.5 billion in youth mental health programs (FY 2022-FY 2024).

SAMHSA’s youth programs are focused on promoting wellness and the prevention, treatment, and recovery of mental health and substance use from early childhood to young adulthood. SAMHSA’s strategy supports the President’s Unity Agenda to address the national mental health crisis and overdose epidemic.

Project AWARE and Other Grant Programs for Children and Youth

This fiscal year (FY24) alone, SAMHSA will invest more than $550 million to support children’s mental health through numerous grant programs, including more than $110 million for Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) , a program that helps schools develop sustainable infrastructure for school-based mental health programs and services. SAMHSA recognizes that schools are uniquely positioned to help provide mental health support to children, with educators often among the first to notice mental health concerns among their students.

Other grant programs funded by SAMHSA this year include (but are not limited to):

• Cooperative Agreements for School-Based Trauma-Informed Support Services (TISS) and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth , which helps increase student access to evidence-based and culturally relevant trauma support services and mental health care, $12 million
• Project Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health (Project LAUNCH) , which helps to screen and assess young children and provide mental health consultation in early care and educational settings, $23.6 million
• National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) , which improves treatment and services for children, adolescents, and families who have experienced traumatic events, $98.9 million
• Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) , which helps youth and their families and promotes resilience and equity in communities that have experienced civil unrest, community violence and collective trauma, $17.5 million
• Mental Health Awareness Training , which provides mental health literacy and training to support youth and their families, $28 million

Social Media Toolkit

Children's mental health awareness day.

Post Copy - X (formerly Twitter): Today is National #ChildrensMentalHealthAwarenessDay! For nearly 20 years, SAMHSA has recognized Children’s Mental Health Day to bring attention to the mental health needs of children and young people. Learn more: samhsa.gov/observances/national-childrens-mental-health-awareness-day #CMHAD2024

Post Copy - Facebook/LinkedIn/Instagram: Today is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. This is a special day for all of us to recognize that our children’s mental health matters! samhsa.gov/observances/national-childrens-mental-health-awareness-day #CMHAD2024

Post Copy - All Platforms: #ChildrensMentalHealthAwarenessDay: Positive mental health is essential for kids—it means reaching milestones, learning healthy social skills & coping when there are problems. Let's bring awareness about the needs of children's mental health! samhsa.gov/observances/national-childrens-mental-health-awareness-day #AwarenessDay

Alt-text: Kids hands in colorful paint. Text reads “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day”

Download & Share

  Children's Mental Health Awareness Day Graphic (PNG | 774 KB)

You're not alone. Help is available.

When a child is experiencing mental health challenges it impacts their family as well. Help is available. Visit samhsa.gov/find-help for free, confidential support 24/7. If a young person in your life is going through a tough time, remind them that there’s always help and hope. #NCMHAD #988Lifeline #AwarenessDay #MHAM2024

Alt-text: Kids hands in colorful paint. Text reads “You’re not alone. Help is available” with a list of helplines: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call 988 (LGBTQI+ Youth press 3) Text 988 (LGBTQI+ Youth text "pride") Chat 988Lifeline.org; SAMHSA’s National Helpline 1800662HELP (4357); Disaster Distress Helpline 18009855990 Veterans Crisis Line Dial 988 press 1; Findtreatment.gov; Findsupport.gov

  You're not alone. Help is available. Graphic (PNG | 1 MB)

For Parents and Caregivers of Children

Post Copy - All Platforms: #ChildrensMentalHealthAwarenessDay: It can be tough to tell if troubling behavior in a child is just a part of growing up or a problem that should be discussed with a health professional. Be aware of the warning signs of distress: samhsa.gov/mental-health/how-to-talk/parents-and-caregivers #AwarenessDay #MHAM2024

Alt-text: Kids hands in colorful paint. Text reads “For Parents and Caregivers of Children” Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

  For Parents and Caregivers of Children Graphic (PNG | 544 KB)

Programs and Initiatives Supporting Children and Youth

SAMHSA initiatives aimed at improving children’s mental health include:

• In 2022, SAMHSA funded the American Academy of Pediatrics to establish a Center of Excellence on Social Media and Mental Wellbeing (SMMW-CoE) to develop and disseminate information, guidance, and training on the impact—including risks and benefits—that social media use has on children and young people, especially to their mental health. The Center also examines clinical and social interventions that can be used to prevent and mitigate the risks.
• SAMHSA also co-chairs the Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force with the Department of Commerce, which was established in May 2023.
• In 2023, SAMHSA celebrated 10 years of “Talk. They Hear You,” a campaign that helps parents, caregivers and others to get informed, be prepared, and take action to prevent underage drinking and other substance use.
• In 2022, SAMHSA developed Screen4Success , a user-friendly screening and referral management tool for individuals, families, and caregivers to identify signs of elevated risk and find resources and support at the local and national level.
• In 2023, SAMHSA launched the FentAlert: Empowering Youth for Safer Choices Challenge . This first-of-its-kind challenge centered youth voices in the development of prevention messaging that discusses the dangers of fentanyl and fake pills.
• What is Suicide and Suicidal Behavior?
• The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers 24/7 call, text and chat access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. People can also call, text or chat 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
• The 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is a comprehensive, whole-of-society approach to suicide prevention that provides concrete recommendations for addressing gaps in the suicide prevention field.
• National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC)
• Early Childhood Mental Health Programs
• Mental Health Myths and Facts
• Signs of Needing Help in Children
• School and Campus Health
• Parent and Caregiver Resources
• Understanding Child Trauma

Learn more about SAMHSA .

Hy-Vee launches new campaign for Mental Health Awareness Month

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Hy-Vee is launching a new campaign for Mental Health Awareness Month.

Hy-Vee officials said with May being Mental Health Awareness Month, Hy-Vee is launching a new video series entitled “A Holistic Approach to Improving Mental Health” hosted by Dr. Daniel Fick, Hy-Vee’s Chief Medical Officer. The four-part video series features Hy-Vee’s team of health and wellness professionals and helps educate customers and patients on ways to proactively manage their mental health through sleep, nutrition, exercise and medication management.

Hy-Vee officials indicated according to a survey by the American Psychological Association, long-term stress since the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on well-being, with individuals reporting a significant increase in mental health conditions. The study revealed individuals between the ages of 35 to 44 experienced the highest growth in mental health diagnoses from 31% in 2019 to 45% in 2023. Adults between the ages of 18 to 34 reported a 50% increase in 2023.

“At Hy-Vee, we recognize mental health is a significant topic in the U.S., with more than one in five adults having some type of mental health diagnosis,” said Dr. Daniel Fick, Chief Medical Officer for Hy-Vee. “Mental health should be looked at from a holistic approach that incorporates proper nutrition, sleep and exercise. This video series aims to empower customers and patients with new strategies to improve their mental health and well-being.”

Hy-Vee officials noted the four-part video series discusses a variety of topics, including:

• “Mental Health and the Impact of a Good Night of Sleep” discusses the mental health crisis in the U.S. and the importance of sleep with health care providers from Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care.
• “Mental Health and Staying Physically Active” highlights the connection between mental and physical health with a Hy-Vee fitness expert. Families can join Hy-Vee KidsFit to stay active together, or individuals can stay active by incorporating Short & Sweat exercise videos into their daily routines.
• “Mental Health and the Importance of a Healthy Diet” shows how Hy-Vee dietitians can help customers select food and drinks that can positively impact an individual’s mental health.
• “Mental Health and Understanding Your Medications” showcases experts from Hy-Vee’s pharmacy team who share how they contribute to a patient’s mental health journey through the administration of proper medication.

Hy-Vee officials said to view the video series and learn about all the mental health resources that Hy-Vee provides, visit Hy-Vee’s website .

Copyright 2024 WIBW. All rights reserved.

Fort Riley AH-64 helicopter crashes during training

City of Topeka to formally name next City Manager

Three pro-Palestinian protesters arrested after entering library on University of Kansas campus

Five day trial leads to conviction of murder

13 NEWS obtains affidavit for April Reser’s shooting

Latest news.

Thieves steal more than 25K in equipment from Topeka’s Gil Carter Initiative

Silver Lake’s McKinley and Kaibryn Kruger discuss college softball commitments

National Nurses Week spotlights local nurses

Midland Care celebrates the lives of loved ones lost with 28th annual Celebration Walk