Did you know that in the United States, 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness? Or that 1 in 6 children (aged 6 to 17 years) experience a mental disorder? Despite the prevalence of mental health illnesses and disorders, those who struggle with them often feel alone.
Since May is Mental Health Month, here are some ways you can help raise awareness so those who struggle don’t feel alone:
- Ask people how they’re doing.
- Share your struggle (if applicable) with mental illness.
- Share mental health resources on social media
- Encourage positive language that doesn’t feed into the stigma of mental illness.
- Educate yourself about mental illness.
Additional resources to help you raise awareness:
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness’s mental health infographics and fact sheets.
- Mental Health America’s May is Mental Health Month toolkit.
This blog was written by Hope Squad. Hope Squad student members are trained to be aware of their peers and watch for warning signs. They learn to show empathy to their peers, listen without judgment, and reduce stigma regarding help-seeking and mental illness. Hope Squads are now in over 1,200 schools across 35 states and Canada. During the seventeen years since Timpview High School started a Hope Squad, the school has not lost a student to suicide. And as Hope Squad grows, we will continue to spread hope and save more lives. Learn more by visiting https://hopesquad.com/.
