Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the U.S. since 1949. As Mental Health Awareness Month, May is a time to raise awareness of and reduce the stigma surrounding behavioral health issues, as well as highlighting the ways how mental illness and addiction can affect all of us – patients, providers, families, and our society at large.
Mental illnesses are common in the United States. It is estimated that more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (57.8 million in 2021). Mental illnesses include many different conditions that vary in degree of severity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe.
Through observing Mental Health Awareness Month, It is hoped that all of us together will help fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness.
As President Biden said in proclaiming May 2023 as National Mental Health Awareness Month, “we honor the absolute courage of the tens of millions of Americans living with mental health conditions, and we celebrate the loved ones and mental health professionals who are there for them every day.” The President called upon “citizens, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other groups to join in activities and take action to strengthen the mental health of our communities and our Nation.”
Proclamation –
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