Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States (43.8 million or 18.5%) experience mental illness in a given year.  (NIMH 2015)  Only 41% of adults in the US with a mental health condition received mental health services in the last year.  Many organizations take the month of May to highlight mental illness and bring awareness to a condition that affects so many. 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is encouraging everyone to take The Stigma Free Pledge.  Their website outlines three steps to be stigma free:

1)  Learn about mental health issues

2)  See the person and not the illness

3)  Take action on mental health issues

Learn more and take the pledge at www.nami.org/stigma.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is highlighting May 15-21 as National Prevention Week.  This year’s theme is “Strong as One. Stronger Together.”  Learn more about National Prevention Week at www.samhsa.gov/prevention-week.

Mental Health America (MHA) has an entire mental health month toolkit.  Their theme this year is “Life with a Mental Illness” in which they are encouraging individuals to share what life with a mental illness feels like for them in words, pictures, and video by tagging their social media posts with #mentalillnessfeelslike (or submitting to MHA anonymously).  You can learn more and access the toolkit at www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may.

We can all do our part by learning the facts, increasing awareness, and battling stigma.    

By Lynn Vogel, Account Management Executive, Anthem EAP