May is ‘Mental Health Month,’ but resources, awareness available year-round
As shared in a recent Purdue Today article, May is Mental Health Month. Due to the prevalence of mental illness in the United States, resources and tools to assist are a daily necessity. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports:
- One in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
- One in 25 U.S. adults experience serious mental health illness each year
- One in six U.S. youth aged 6 to 17, experience a mental health disorder each year
- Fifty percent of all lifetime mental illness begin by age 14 and 75 percent by age 24
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 24
And the numbers don’t seem to be dropping, but rather increasing in some areas.
“As a reminder, the university has several programs and tools in place to assist our Purdue community members in need of mental health and well-being support,” said Candace Shaffer, senior director of benefits in Human Resources. “Behavioral health was chosen specifically as a pillar of Purdue’s Healthy Boiler Program in order to provide another avenue of much-needed resources to our population. The Human Resources website includes information for both Purdue and community resources, and the Mental Health / Stress web page on HR’s “Working through COVID-19 website” outlines several as well in relation to the pandemic. We want our faculty, staff and students to know they are not alone, and we support them.”
#MeMinutes Campaign
#MeMinutes is a way of inspiring family, friends and co-workers to take time for themselves, whether that is practicing yoga, taking a walk, listening to music or podcasts, spending some time outdoors in the fresh air or any other activity that promotes self-care and wellness. You can even track your daily #MeMinutes and collect your monthly totals.
While it was created for Mental Health Month, #MeMinutes can and should be used year-round. Sharing things you are doing for yourself on social media (and using the hashtag #MeMinutes) will help keep self-care to benefit mental health and well-being in the forefront.
More mental health information
- Use the links below to find information on common mental health topics:
- Mental health stigma: Answers to common questions
- Mental health: Signs that someone may need help
- Mental health: Asking for help
- View “The 2020 State Of Mental Health In America Report” from Mental Health America (MHA)
- May 2020 Issue 16
- Volunteers greatly needed as COVID-19 impacts many social service organizations, more
- Exercising despite COVID-19 – Online options, health coaches available via Purdue
- CVS Caremark, Rx Savings Solutions continue to fill pharmacy needs despite COVID-19
- May is ‘Mental Health Month,’ but resources, awareness available year-round
- News you need to know...