Mental Health Awareness Month: Causes We Care About

May is mental health awareness month, and here at Choosing Therapy, we’ve rounded up several mental health topics we think are important to be talking about, this month and throughout the year.

Mental Health America offers a toolkit with social media resources, printables, posters, and more. The National Alliance on Mental Health also offers several resources for those looking for more information and ways to get involved. One simple way to show your engagement is with a green ribbon.

1. Suicide Prevention

Hannah Hackworth, LCSW, MBA, Executive Director of Here Tomorrow shares, “We at Here Tomorrow exist to face the problem of suicide head-on and reimagine how we as communities can come together to solve it. Increased social isolation that is occurring as we continue to navigate through this pandemic is magnifying this problem and putting at-risk individuals at greater risk.

To change the trajectory, we need to connect with those who are most at-risk before it is too late. International suicide prevention expert Paul Quinnett advised, ‘For most people who get help, get professional help, where they can actually talk about the subject of suicide, the problems that seemed worth dying for a month ago don’t seem that way today,’ he said. ‘It’s the people we’re not talking to who are dying.’

When people are experiencing hopelessness and contemplating seeking professional help, what they need is someone to stand by them and embrace them where they are. When we honor this place and space within others and ourselves, we create a pathway to freedom and the journey forward becomes possible.”

2. Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is a course designed to teach anyone the skills to identify and respond to signs of mental illnesses, substance use disorders, or a mental health crisis. According to MHFA, “Mental Health First Aiders are anyone who wants to make their community healthier, happier and safer for all.” Their goal is to make mental health first aid as common as CPR.

3. Telehealth Is Making Therapy Accessible & Affordable

Since the start of 2020, online therapy has become the “new normal,” with most therapists offering video or phone sessions, and even options to connect via chat and messaging. Early research shows that online therapy can be just as effective as in-person sessions, while also offering people the ability to receive therapy from the comfort of their own homes.

This accessible option for mental health care is likely to stick around—with fewer limitations for care, multiple ways to connect to a therapist, expanded insurance coverage for online options, online therapy is here to stay. Learn more about finding an online therapist.

4. Telepsychiatry Makes It Easier Than Ever to Get Vital Medications

Elizabeth Corvino, Lead Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Minded says, “Telepsychiatry eliminates many of the pain points of a traditional psychiatric visit: calling to schedule an appointment, waiting weeks if not longer for an appointment, traveling to the appointment, and sitting in a waiting room. Through telepsychiatry, patients can adopt technology to simplify another aspect of their life without sacrificing quality of care.”

Kirsten Thompson, MD, Psychiatrist and Founder of Remedy Psychiatry states, “The increased accessibility and visibility of mental health care in the last year alone will hopefully further reduce the stigma of getting mental health care. On an individual level, as more people have access and feel better, they may be more apt to discuss their success and want to help friends and family by sharing their good experiences.

Additionally, as the pandemic forced even tech-averse people to accept technology through telehealth, the tech industry is more aware of mental health and rapidly expanding offerings in a way that can reach many more people. Given that nearly 46% of Americans dealt with anxiety or depression in the last year, fairly close to the 64% of us that get a common cold each year, hopefully at one point, the stigma of mental health struggles will be as talked about, and readily treated, as the common cold.”

5. Racism & Mental Health

BIPOC, LatinX folks, and the AAPI community deal with feelings of hopelessness, emotional distress, and worry about their family’s safety, because of their race. Racism causes adverse and critical affects to the mental health of those affected, leads to increased symptoms of depression, stress, anxiety, and trauma, and can lead to low self-esteem.

Finding a therapist who can understand and identify with your concerns can be a great way to find healing. Learn more about how to find a Black therapist or a LatinX therapist.

6. LGBTQIA+ & Mental Health

Those in the LGBTQIA+ community face mental health issues at higher rates than their heterosexual peers. They face stressors such as homophobia and discrimination, family concerns, difficulty with coming out, and loneliness. Finding a therapist that is LGBTQ+ or specializes in LGBTQ+ issues can help validate a client’s experience and make them feel heard.

It is also vital to be an ally and advocate for those in the LGBTQIA+ community—learn more about supporting trans and gender nonconforming youth, or check out The Trevor Project for further resources.

7. Neurodiversity Education & Allyship

Lyric Holmans, neurodiversity consultant and educator, and founder of Neurodivergent Rebel shares, “As humans, we all need to be loved and accepted as we are—the whole person, strengths, and weaknesses. Historically, people with NeuroDivergent brains have been told they are broken. We’ve been told we need to try harder to be more like everyone else. We must find a way to fit ourselves into the NeuroTypical systems that modern society has created (without input from NeuroDivergent people).

NeuroDiversity challenges that narrative, asking that we flex and fix the broken systems—instead of blaming NeuroDivergent People for our inability to fit in. I’m not a broken NeuroTypical. I’m wholly NeuroDivergent.

Historically, the narrative around Autism (and many other NeuroDivergent brain types) has been carried by NeuroTypical People. This has been problematic because it’s pointed most of the advocacy, funding, and research around Autism to things non-Autistic people think Autistic People need, instead of focusing on the issues that matter to Autistic People. We need allies who listen to us and amplify our voices without speaking over us, allies to help us eliminate the narrative that NeuroDivergent people are broken NeuroTypical People, allies who empower us to live authentically NeuroDivergent lives.”

Learn more about neurodiversity or check out the Autistic Self Advocacy Network for more information.

8. The Importance of Mindfulness & Self-Care

With the ongoing stressors of the world, it’s important to be taking care of our bodies and our minds.

Elissa Epel, Phd, Professor, and Vice Chair of UCSF’s Psychiatry Department suggests, “Choose one small addition to your day (eg, 3 minutes of mindful breathing). Find a time to do it that clips it to an existing habit or ritual in your day (like waking up, brushing teeth, or walking the dog) and try to do it right after that. Set an alarm with a pretty tone as your reminder. When you forget, say kind things to yourself, remembering it’s hard to make a change. And try again tomorrow.”

Learn more about mindfulness, the importance of sleep, meditating, and how yoga can ease anxiety symptoms.