what is mental health awareness?
Mental health awareness is an ongoing effort to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and mental health conditions through the sharing of our personal experiences.
People often suffer in silence because of misconceptions about mental health and mental fitness, and their conditions go untreated. Mental health awareness is an important social movement that aims to increase both understanding and access to healthcare.
what is the importance of mental health awareness?
Every year, mental illnesses affect 19% of adults, 46% of teenagers, and 13% of children. People who are suffering from mental illness may be in your family, live next door, teach your children, work in the next cubicle, or sit in the same church pew as you.
However, only half of those affected receive treatment, owing to the stigma associated with mental illness. Untreated, mental illness can lead to increased medical costs, poor academic and occupational performance, fewer job opportunities, and an increased risk of suicide.
How can mental health awareness help?
Mental health awareness is essential for advancing mental health treatment and behavioral health. It is a necessary and foundational conversation for shifting to a more proactive mental health model.
We currently only fill our tanks when they reach “empty.” Increasing our awareness allows us to recognize the signs and symptoms of “off” feelings, just as we do with physical illness.
Here are four significant advantages of mental health awareness:
1- Helps you in recognizing and understanding your symptoms
Having a diagnosis can be magical at times. Despite the stigma attached to the term, it is simply a shorthand for a group of symptoms that occur concurrently.
A diagnosis, especially for mental health conditions that are difficult to pinpoint, and sometimes impossible to find, on a test, can be extremely validating. It can make people feel less alone and make finding treatment easier. Take note of your symptoms. For example, you may believe that your mental health deteriorates as a result of your use of social media.
2- starts a conversation
Mental health awareness is an ongoing discussion, but until recently, it was held in whispers. However, because distorted thinking is a common feature of many moods and anxiety disorders, discussing it can be extremely beneficial.
Building a support network and speaking with a licensed mental health professional is essential for symptom relief in many mental health conditions.
Regrettably, stigma breeds silence. It also makes it difficult to seek help at work or in other settings that may be made more difficult by a mental health diagnosis.
3- Improved education
Caregivers, employers, parents, family members, and loved ones must understand the impact of mental health on daily life. While mental health issues can make daily life more difficult, they do not have to prevent you from living a fulfilling and engaging life.
When the people in your life understand and prioritize mental health care, it becomes easier to take the necessary steps to care for yourself and thrive.
4- improves mental fitness
Many of us have fallen into the trap of viewing mental health as synonymous with mental illness. It is possible to have a mental health condition while also being mentally fit, and the absence of a mental health condition does not guarantee mental fitness.
Adding mental fitness, a proactive approach to emotional health, well-being, and cognitive agility to our understanding of mental health issues and wellness. It enables us to live our lives with greater purpose, clarity, and passion. Reducing the stigma associated with mental health is an important first step toward embracing mental fitness.
How to raise awareness of mental health?
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, mental health disorders affect over 43.8 million people each year. Despite this, less than half of those affected will seek professional help1, and many will do so more than ten years after the condition first manifests itself.
This refusal to seek treatment stems from decades of stigma attached to seeking or admitting help.
Raising awareness about mental health issues is the most effective way to combat the shame that many people who struggle with these issues may feel.
The following are some of the most effective methods for accomplishing this:
Discuss Mental Health Issues Openly
Living with a mental health disorder is extremely difficult. Not only must those suffering from the condition experience their illness’s symptoms, but they are frequently expected to deny or conceal their struggles.
Talking openly about your own mental health struggles, as well as asking for and genuinely listening to your family and friends’ responses, can encourage them to speak up about their symptoms and emotions, and possibly seek help.
Educate Yourself and Others About Mental Illness Warning Signs and Symptoms
Many people who suffer from mental illnesses refuse to seek help because they do not want to be blamed. Society has a tendency to dismiss those who have problems that others see as ‘all in the mind.’
Understanding and teaching others about the causes, symptoms, and treatments for mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia can better equip you and those around you to discuss these issues in a supportive manner.
The following are possible indicators of a developing mental illness:
- Mood swings
- Antisocial conduct
- Changes in sleeping and eating habits
- Constant melancholy
If you notice any of these symptoms in a loved one, talk to them about it and encourage them to seek professional help.
practice Kindness and compassion
For far too long, terms like “wacko” or “loony” have been used to describe people suffering from serious mental illnesses. Those suffering from mental illness, above all, require compassion and kindness, not mockery.
Teach children and teenagers to be respectful of their peers and those who do not behave similarly to them. Then, take this teaching to heart and show compassion to everyone you come into contact with, not just those who are obviously suffering from mental health issues.
Take and Distribute a No-Cost Mental Health Screening
Often, a person suspects they have a mental health problem but is hesitant to seek a diagnosis, which would most likely confirm their fears. Taking a mental health screening quiz and sharing your results on social media may encourage your friends to do the same. 2
Many more people may gather the courage to seek help if finding out if they need it is treated as normal and supported.
Join or Volunteer at Awareness Events
Every year on May 1st, National Mental Health Month kicks off with increased local and online awareness events.
You can encourage others to learn more about mental health issues by volunteering at, participating in, or simply sharing these events online.
Use these events, whether in May or throughout the year, to get out there and directly address the need for more people to become aware of the realities of their own and others’ mental health.
Take a Holistic Approach to Improve the Mental Health of Your Family, Friends, and self.
Raising awareness entails more than simply teaching people how to recognize mental illnesses. It’s also about making a positive, long-term difference in their mental health.
This can be accomplished by encouraging your loved ones to practice self-care or by assisting them in focusing on their physical health through exercise and healthy eating habits. Arranging park runs or hikes to raise mental health awareness could benefit the cause in two ways.
3 main tips to raise mental health awareness
How can individuals, particularly non-clinicians, help to raise mental health awareness? Learning to talk and share openly about mental health is a big part of it.
We allow stigma to persist when we remain silent about mental health and fitness. That silence makes it more difficult for people to prioritize their own mental health.
Here are some suggestions for raising mental health awareness in your community.
Make your voice heard
How frequently do you see people taking a mental health day? And how frequently do you see them being open about it? Many of us believe that our physical health is more important than our mental health.
When we’re sick, we take the day off, but not when we’re emotionally drained or exhausted. The next time you take time off, tell your team that you’re doing so for your mental health.
When you advocate for your own mental health, you are empowering others to do the same. You’ll almost certainly inspire others to do the same.
Find out more about mental health
Take the time to educate yourself on mental health and fitness. But, more importantly, learn to distinguish between the two. Learn about common mental health conditions, signs of burnout, and how to care for yourself when you have symptoms.
It can be beneficial to keep an eye on your own warning signs to recognize when you’re becoming triggered or overwhelmed. If you come across resources that could help others, share them with those around you.
Speak with a coach
One of my favorite aspects of working for BetterUp is that everyone has a coach. It’s common for me to share stories or insights from my coaching sessions with a manager, a colleague, someone from another department, or an executive.
Conclusion
Mental health is more than just a topic for people who suffer from mental illnesses. It has an impact on our social, emotional, physical, and cognitive health.
Unfortunately, many people do not receive the necessary treatment due to the stigma associated with mental health. Some people are unaware that treatment is available. These people feel lonely and disenfranchised when they suffer quietly. We are deprived of their brilliance.
Suicide is one of the top three causes of death in the United States every year. It has also been on the rise in recent years. This is true for all socioeconomic classes, ethnicities, and genders, though some groups are significantly more vulnerable.
Every suicide is a tragic event. Suicide comes with a high price. It not only warrants financial losses, but it is also devastating for the person who died’s survivors.
We never know how our actions affect others, but if raising awareness can save a life, it is well worth the effort.
References and resources: PINE REST Christian Mental Health Services, The Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association, MyLifespan, World Health Organization WHO.
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