Spreading Mental Health Awareness in May

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, describes mental health, it is “our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.” This influences our decision making, relationships with others, and general behavior. As such, from adolescence through adulthood, it is an important aspect within every stage of our life. Over the years, the importance of mental health has been gradually discussed, and May is a month to spread even more awareness.

The awareness of trauma and the impact of mental health on our well-being is raised during May. As a small act of encouragement, Mental Health Month also celebrates recovery from mental illness and allows them to be understood. According to youth.gov, “Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 eliminates the practice of unequal health treatment and improves access to much needed mental health and substance use disorder treatment services through more equitable insurance coverage.”

Throughout the years, general awareness and acceptance and access to treatment has been more successful. While there has been a stigma surrounding this topic, Mental Health Month combats this. The efforts to overcome this include:

• Community Mental Health Services Block Grant: Financial assistance is provided to states and territories in order to carry out state plans that offer community-based mental health services and verified practices to both adults and children.
• Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008: The practice of inequitable health treatment is eliminated with this federal law. Access to treatment for mental health and substance use disorder services are improved. As youth.gov says, it is now available through “more equitable insurance coverage”.
• As Youth.gov writes, the Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Suicide Prevention Program “facilitates coordination across government agencies and the private sector in the development, implementation, and evaluation of youth suicide prevention and early intervention plans among youth-serving institutions, such as schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse programs, primary care, mental health programs, foster care systems, and other organizations.”

Thanks to all the efforts that ensured services for mental health is accessible, a month is dedicated to encourage rehabilitation and assure that recovery is always possible for those struggling.