What Mental Health Month is September?
September is a month when we join together to promote mental health and suicide prevention awareness. During this time, we work to inspire honest conversations about suicide and reduce bias that prevents people from getting help.
It’s also important for organizations to reflect on how they can support employees who struggle with their mental health.
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is a time when mental health advocates, survivors, allies, and community members come together to promote suicide prevention awareness. It’s also a time to honor those who have lost their lives to suicide and connect people suffering with suicidal thoughts to treatment services.
While suicide is a serious issue, there is always hope and help available. Everyone can make a difference by talking with someone who may be struggling with their mental health or suicide risk.
September is a great time to host a community event or activity to raise awareness and educate others. Consider hosting a mental health resource fair, screening a film, and bringing together family-friendly activities. Or, invite a local speaker to share their experience with mental health and suicide prevention.
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health conditions do not discriminate based on race, color, or ethnicity, but the challenges of living with a mental illness can be more difficult for those who are minorities. Racial and ethnic minority communities face unique mental illness struggles, including less access to care, lower quality of care and a greater chance of suffering a stigma that impedes their ability to get treatment.
In July 2008, Congress proclaimed National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to bring attention to the challenges racial and ethnic minority communities experience when it comes to mental health. This campaign aims to raise public awareness about mental illness in underserved minority populations and increase access to mental health and substance use treatment services for those who need it.
National Depression Awareness Month
Every October, behavioral health advocates join together to participate in Depression Awareness Month. During this time, people work to increase knowledge and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health disorders.
Depression is a common mental illness that affects men and women of all ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It can occur without an obvious reason, but it is often triggered by difficult life events.
If you or someone you know is feeling depressed, get screened. A mental health screening is an easy and affordable way to identify symptoms of depression before they get worse.
CPNP is proud to celebrate national and international days that promote the important role pharmacists play in mental health care.
We encourage you to share your story and help disseminate mental health awareness in a safe and healthy way. You can do so through organizations like This Is My Brave or NAMI, which are dedicated to using storytelling to save lives.
National Addiction Awareness Month
National Addiction Awareness Month is an annual observance that takes place in September and celebrates the achievements of people who have overcome substance abuse or mental health disorders. It promotes the critical message that prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover from these disorders.
It also acknowledges the importance of low-barrier access to evidence-based treatments and community resources that help millions of Americans achieve their recovery goals. Hundreds of communities across the country hold events to highlight this important month.
The observance of Recovery Month is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Its goal is to educate the public about the importance of behavioral health and mental and substance use disorders.
Everyone can support the effort to raise awareness of these disorders by talking about them in a positive way. This could reduce the stigma that prevents people from getting the care they need. This could lead to improved access and education for those in need of help.
