Mental Health Awareness Month: How to Get Involved

Key takeaways

• Mental health awareness month is celebrated internationally during May.

• Mental health awareness month is a time to raise awareness of mental illness and its impacts on the community, reduce stigma, and promote emotional and mental wellness.

• There are some ways to get involved and participate in Mental Health Awareness Month, including community advocacy, volunteering, or simply voicing your support.

Overview of Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental health awareness month was first recognized in 1949 as a part of a larger public health campaign. The intended purpose of this campaign was to designate a specific month where communities, institutions, and individuals work together to raise awareness about mental health and its impacts on the community. Part of this campaign focuses on reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness to create a more inclusive and supportive culture for people living with mental health challenges.^[1][2]

Mental health awareness month is internationally recognized and is celebrated each year in the month of May. During this month, schools and other organizations within a community may work together to offer education, advocacy, and support for individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Individuals are encouraged to participate by raising awareness, advocating for mental health resources and services, and engaging in other activities in support of individuals with mental health issues.

Ways to participate and get involved

There are many ways to participate and get involved during Mental Health Awareness Month. Individuals can work to promote awareness of mental illness by organizing community events, sharing their own lived experience, or participating in advocacy or volunteer efforts. Even showing support by posting information about mental health issues on social media can help to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and support those living with mental illness.^[1]

Events

Organizing or attending community events that support mental health awareness can be a great way to participate in the campaign. If you are an active member of a church, non-profit organization, school, or other institution, you may be able to help organize and host an event. If you are not, you can still show your support by participating in and attending community events that are dedicated to advocacy or support of individuals with mental illnesses.

Here are some examples of ways to participate in mental health awareness through events:

• Speak with your church leaders about organizing an information session, event, or fundraiser.

• Volunteer to help organize or run an existing event by reaching out to see how you can get involved in an upcoming event in your community.

• Look online or in your local newspaper to find information about upcoming events that support mental health awareness.

• Share information with people in your network to invite them to organized events within the community.

Advocacy

Advocating can be a great way to get involved and make a positive impact. Advocacy can happen on a small scale or a large scale. For example, some people can advocate within their place of employment or in their local communities, and others may lobby or advocate at the state or national level. Advocacy efforts can vary, but generally include speaking out to increase resources or services for people with mental health issues.

Here are some examples of ways to participate in mental health awareness through advocacy:

• Advocating for workplace policies that are more supportive to people with mental health conditions.

• Advocating for more funding at the local or state level for needed mental health treatments.

• Advocating for improved coverage of mental health services and treatment with insurance companies.

• Participating in national or state lobbying, campaigns or organized protests to advocate for policy and legislation changes to better meet the needs of those with mental health issues.

Volunteering

Volunteering is another great way to actively participate and get involved in mental health awareness. Learning about the specific resources and services provided for people with mental health issues within your local community is a good way to find potential volunteer opportunities. Many organizations that support mental health awareness and treatment are non-profit organizations that welcome help from volunteers within the community. Reaching out via phone or email is a great way to find opportunities to get more involved as a volunteer.

Here are some examples of how to participate in mental health awareness through volunteering:

• Becoming a volunteer with NAMI, which offers free support groups for people struggling with mental illness.

• Becoming a volunteer at a local crisis or suicide prevention hotline.

• Take a Mental Health First Aid training and become a registered volunteer.

• Serve on the board of a non-profit organization that supports people in your community struggling with mental health conditions.

Social media

There are many ways to participate and get involved in mental health awareness online, particularly through the use of social media platforms. Sharing or reposting accurate and trusted information about mental illness and its impacts or about resources and services within your community are examples of how to use social media to get involved. Some people may choose to use social media to share their own personal stories of living with a mental illness, which can help to reduce stigma.^[3]

Here are examples of how to use social media to participate in Mental Health Awareness Month:

• Adding a banner to your profile with a supportive message about mental health.

• Sharing stories of your own lived experience with mental health conditions.

• Posting information about events and campaigns aimed at increasing awareness.

• Reposting or sharing posts that contain accurate educational materials on mental health.

Show support

Another simple way to participate in Mental Health Awareness Month is simply to show your support for the cause or for individuals affected by mental illness. Wearing clothing or ribbons designated to mental health awareness is one easy way to show your support. Less public displays can also be meaningful, including showing up to support the people in your life who live with mental illness. Even dedicating time to your own self-care helps to demonstrate your support for the cause of mental well-being.

Here are some examples of how to show support for mental health awareness:

• Wear a green ribbon, which is a universally accepted symbol for supporting mental health awareness.

• Put a small sign, sticker, or banner up in your workplace to show support for mental health advocacy campaigns.

• Make a phone call to a friend or family member who has mental health issues and check in with them to see how they’re doing.

• Make a small donation to a campaign or fundraiser that is working to promote mental health awareness or advocate for the needs of people with mental illness.

Additional resources

Here are some additional tools and resources that can help improve mental health awareness and advocacy efforts:

• SAMHSA Mental Health Awareness Toolkit

• NAMI Mental Health Awareness Month Campaign

• National Council for Mental Wellbeing checklist

• Mental Health America Mental Health Month

• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Mental Health Awareness Toolkit