More Than Just Awareness: Mental Health Awareness Month
- Visions
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Written/Images by Johanna Foudy
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Although over the years, the conversation regarding mental health has become more common, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding it. Just as people should take care of their physical health, they should also take care of their mental health.
According to 2022 data from the National Institute of Mental Health, 59.3 million adults, or about 23.1% of the population, deal with some sort of mental health condition. This data includes many different conditions that vary from mild to moderate severity. College-aged young adults, 18-25, had the highest percentage of mental health issues, while older adults had a smaller percentage.
However, this does not change the fact that anyone can experience mental health issues. In addition, people from all social classes, races, ages, and genders can experience mental health issues.
To help those with mental health conditions, many colleges and universities have implemented wellness centers to better support their students. For example, PCCC has a wellness center that offers free counseling appointments to students. They also offer a large variety of other resources to better assist students.
However, for those outside of colleges/universities or employment, accessing mental health care is not always the easiest. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, even though 52.1% of adults received treatment for their mental illness, 1 in 4 adults lack access to this type of care.
There is also a massive shortage of mental health professionals in the United States. According to recent data, 120+ million people live in a designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area.
Due to these statistics, prioritizing mental well-being is more important than ever. At PCCC, many students share a similar opinion.
One student, Eric Bloom, expressed, “mental health is not something that should be brushed off and is not discussed enough. If you or someone you know if struggling, please don’t hesitate to reach out to someone.”
According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death overall in the U.S in 2022. It is also the 2nd leading cause of death among people ages 10-14 and 15-24.
In addition, 46% of people who died by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition. 90% who have died by suicide have or may have experienced symptoms of mental illness. 79% of those who died by suicide are also male, and the rate is nearly 4x higher than that of females.
For many students, mental health awareness is not just about destigmatizing mental health but also bringing awareness to it.
Student Ria Teitelbaum expressed, “mental health awareness means going on, just bringing attention to mental illnesses. Awareness must include advocacy, sympathy, and policy change.” She continues, “Mental illnesses are still stigmatized at a systemic level, and those of us who suffer from mental illnesses face legitimate discrimination on an everyday basis.”
Mental health doesn’t just mean anxiety and depression, but also neurodivergence as well. In the United States, several institutions make life more difficult, especially for those who deal with them.
To many, self-care isn’t enough, and allyship and advocacy are what are truly needed to improve the lives of everyone with mental illnesses.
So, don’t just be there for your friends and peers, advocate for them. Because a better tomorrow starts with today.
Mental Health Resources
Veterans Crisis Line - Reach caring, qualified responders with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many responders are veterans
Call 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Crisis Chat or text 838255
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