Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected.

Being mentally healthy during childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems. Mentally healthy children have a positive quality of life and can function well at home, in school, and in their communities.

1 in 5 children suffer from a mental disorder and 80% of chronic mental health disorders begin in childhood. Mental health problems in children ages 6 to 17 continue to rise. 1 in 5 adults suffer from mental health disorders.

There are several ways to support children and adults that have mental health disorders. Some great resources are:

• https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/basics.html

• https://www.cmhnetwork.org/

• https://mhanational.org/

• https://childrens.wvumedicine.org/blog/11-tips-for-successfully-collaborating-with-your-child-s-teacher-for-mental-healt?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3STZRidZ38K76uO-1QGjCYmUPKAs4YH975behB6aB_eEqu-lnV0bHVmyo_aem_AUTXu2y9qa6y3QbSx54M7w6cBXe1qaZ8kAP7auFUzgO5eRnG9lNkLgUul8UcXs-KQ8YY6BIIpxJZ7skpNOYXkUHU

• https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health

• https://mhanational.org/mental-health-month

• https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health-awareness-month/toolkit

• https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/mental-health/article/head-start-heals-campaign

• https://files.constantcontact.com/2d9275f3801/09a11438-fc24-4980-8cae-ac9a37a81038.pdf