Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental Health Awareness Month: More Than Enough
by Sharon Fu, Seeds of Hope Counseling
May contains such joyful symbolism from the Emerald birthstone representing love and success to the birth flower Lily of the Valley representing rebirth and happiness.
Mental health professionals such as myself associate May with Mental Health Awareness Month, which was founded by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in the United States in 1949. #MoreThanEnough is this year’s theme to “emphasize people's inherent value and potential for fulfilling lives, while promoting resources and events that encourage connection and support.”
Mental health treatment has come such a long way over the years, but as we consider mental health by the numbers, it’s clear we have a long way to go to educate, destigmatize and create access to mental health.
Let’s get into it …
Growing Need
Recent statistics show the growing need for mental health support. The NAMI HelpLine, for example, saw an increase of more than 300% in help-seekers — from 18,000 in 2016 to nearly 80,000 in 2022. Help-seekers with suicidal ideation or crisis situations rose from 3.3% in early 2020 to 7.7% in early 2023.
According to a 2023 study by NextStep Solutions:
21% of adults are experiencing at least one mental illness. That’s roughly 50 million people.
55% of adults with a mental illness have not received any treatment.
5.44% of adults experience severe mental illness.
Over 12.1 million adults (4.8%) have reported serious thoughts of suicide. This figure more than doubles when surveying adults who identify as two or more races.
Why it Matters
Untreated mental health conditions can result in unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, poor quality of life, and in extreme cases, suicide.
It increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Raising awareness about mental heath reduces the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and seeking treatment and helps improve the quality of lives, and in some cases, saves lives.
Getting Help for Yourself
Call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger or go to the nearest emergency room. Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. National Institute of Mental Health has a great general mental health resource page here.
Helping Loved Ones
If someone lets you know that they are experiencing difficult thoughts and feelings, it's common to feel like you don't know what to do or say, but you could potentially save a life. Mind.org suggests the following action items:
Listen. Simply giving someone space to talk, and listening to how they're feeling, can be really helpful in itself. If they're finding it difficult, let them know that you're there when they are ready.
Offer reassurance. Seeking help can feel lonely, and sometimes scary. You can reassure someone by letting them know that they are not alone, and that you will be there to help.
Stay calm. Even though it might be upsetting to hear that someone you care about is distressed, try to stay calm. This will help your friend or family member feel calmer too, and show them that they can talk to you openly without upsetting you.
Be patient. You might want to know more details about their thoughts and feelings, or want them to get help immediately. But it's important to let them set the pace for seeking support themselves.
Try not to make assumptions. Your perspective might be useful to your friend or family member, but try not to assume that you already know what may have caused their feelings, or what will help.
Keep social contact. Part of the emotional support you offer could be to keep things as normal as possible. This could include involving your friend or family member in social events, or chatting about other parts of your lives.
