Awareness

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. Why World Mental Health Day? October 10th is World Mental Health Day, founded with the purpose of raising awareness regarding mental health issues on a global scale while also holding the intention of mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.   What is mental health? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental health encapsulates our emotional, psychological, and social well-being (2021). Our mental health determines how we interact with others, cope with stress, and make healthy choices; it is crucial during every stage of life. Poor mental health and mental illness are not the same, as someone who has poor mental health may not meet the clinical criteria for a mental illness. Similarly, someone who is diagnosed with a mental illness may experience periods of mental well-being. Regardless, our mental health can impact the quality of our lives, highlighting its foundational importance in …

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By Ashley Barnes What is National Suicide Prevention Month? National Suicide Prevention Month spans the entirety of September with the goal of uniting mental health professionals, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members to promote suicide prevention awareness; this is achieved through educating others with the use of resources, research, and powerful stories. September also hosts National Suicide Prevention Week from September 4th through September 10th as well as World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th. Suicide Prevention. It is important to recognize warning signs of suicide as well as understand it’s prevalence in order to work towards suicide prevention. Suicide describes the act of ending one’s own life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (CDC, 2021). Research has found that around 46% of people who die by suicide have a known mental health condition …

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