Mental Health Awareness Month is key for understanding and treatment of mental health issues. It reminds us of the challenges many people still face but also highlights progress made in destigmatizing mental health conditions.
Celebrated every May, Mental Health Awareness Month encourages community involvement, education, and the supportive environments needed to create open discussions about mental health.
It’s a period for celebrating recovery stories, reinforcing successes in mental health treatment, and advocating for equal care.
Why Do We Recognize Mental Health Awareness Month 2025?
Every year, untreated mental health issues cause great distress, millions of lost working days, and high suicide rates. Which is why recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month matters.
Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) encourages discussions on improving mental health care and the need for better support systems. It highlights the struggles of millions who lack treatment and inspires improved access to mental health support.
Observing MHAM also encourages us to change policies and reduce the stigma around mental health. By raising awareness, we can help more people receive the treatment they need.
What Is Mental Health Awareness Month?
Our society is getting better at talking about mental health, but this wasn’t always the case.
You might be familiar with the image of people with mental health problems restrained, chained, and shackled in old-fashioned asylums. These practices were designed to control those with serious mental health illnesses, rather than understand and help them.
But in the early 1900s, as our understanding of medicine developed, advocates began fighting for better mental health services.
And in the 1950s, the country came together to ban harmful practices and build a culture of initiatives and action toward mental well-being.
Those iron shackles were melted down and recast into a bell, symbolizing better mental health care for all Americans. Over the years, many leaders have rung the bell as a signal of continued progress and hope.
Now, MHAW is marked on our calendars in May of every year. This way, we won’t forget the importance of equal access to quality mental healthcare, and we’ll keep making progress toward universal care.
“Cast from shackles which bound them, this bell shall ring out hope for the mentally ill and victory over mental illness.”
—The message of hope inscribed on the Mental Health Bell
How Is Mental Health Awareness Month Celebrated in the U.S.?
Each year in May, the nation makes an extra effort to talk about mental health issues. You’ll find added opportunities to raise awareness such as volunteering, fundraising, and community events like coffee mornings and walks.
It’s also a time when businesses and institutes develop partnerships with support services to spread key messages of hope. This is when you might see buildings across the country lit up in green — a reminder to reach out to one another, and to seek and give help whenever possible.
During MHAW, social media campaigns help to spread awareness among their users, in particular young people. If you use social media, you can look for popular hashtags to guide you toward resources and support groups.
The Importance of Awareness During a Mental Health Crisis
In the U.S. we’re facing a serious mental health crisis. In fact, 20% of U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, many of whom can’t get adequate care.
That’s why raising awareness is key for improving national policies and resources, and for supporting the millions who feel isolated by their conditions.
What follows are six ways that observances of MHAW drive better mental health provision.
Highlighting the Need for Better Mental Health Care Access
Despite the growing demand, many Americans still struggle to find accessible mental health services. This gap in care can lead to untreated mental health conditions that worsen over time.
Access to treatment also varies significantly across different ethnic and racial groups:
- 25.4% for Non-Hispanic Asian people
- 36.1% for Hispanic or Latino people
- 52.4% for Non-Hispanic White people
- 52.2% for individuals of multiple racial backgrounds
Differences in treatment rates between genders and sexual orientations include:
- 40% for males
- 51.7% for females
- 55.6% for LGBTQ+ individuals
Everybody should have equal access to good, quality healthcare. It’s not just the right thing to do, but it creates safer, healthier communities where each person can make a contribution.
Increasing awareness through MHAW encourages healthcare systems and governments to improve access, making mental health services available to all.
Driving Mental Health Care Policy Change
In 2021, 12% of U.S. adults with serious mental illness had no insurance coverage and couldn’t get the help they needed.
But awareness campaigns can influence public policy by highlighting the urgent need for mental health care reform.
The discussions and advocacy that MHAW brings can lead to increased funding, better mental health programs, and legislation to support health care providers and patients.
Shedding Light on the Lack of Treatment Centers
160 million Americans currently live in areas with a shortage of behavioral health professionals. And in rural locations the situation is even worse.
In these areas, 21% of adults experienced mental illness in 2020, with serious conditions like opioid addiction, substance use disorders, and thoughts of suicide common.
But MHAW raises awareness of the lack of treatment centers and the inequalities between communities. Shining a spotlight on the places that lack adequate care drives action and change for the better.
Normalizing Mental Health Issues
When you open up about mental wellness, you might be surprised at how many people can relate to your experiences.
And when we normalize conversations about mental health, we reduce stigma and encourage others to seek help.
Awareness efforts help to educate the public, debunk myths, and promote an understanding that mental health is an integral part of overall health.
Starting Conversations About Mental Health
Sometimes, we want to talk about mental health but we don’t know when, where, or how to do so. This is especially true when it comes to serious topics like life-threatening behaviors and suicide prevention.
Awareness months provide a platform for important conversations about mental health across various media and community platforms.
Whether it’s with family members, friends, or peer support groups, more discussions lead to a deeper understanding of mental health challenges.
And these discussions can happen anywhere: community centers, town halls, schools, supermarkets, and out on our streets.
Community and family support help us build safe spaces where people can share and support each other without judgment.
Changing the Stigma Around Mental Health Disorders
Not long ago, mental health wasn’t taken as seriously as physical health. Older adults weren’t encouraged to share like we are now, and a lack of understanding led to stereotypes, discrimination, and unfair treatment.
Even now, it’s common to tell someone to “just get over it,” and dismiss their feelings. Words we throw around in conversation without thinking, like “crazy” or “psycho,” only add to the negative biases surrounding mental health.
That’s why changing how society views mental health disorders is perhaps the most important impact MHAW brings.
Addressing mental health stigma means that people suffering from mental health conditions are met with empathy and support instead of judgment and isolation.
Get Custom to Your Mental Health Care at Mark Behavioral Health
This Mental Health Awareness Month may have caused you to stop and think about your own mental health, or that of a loved one. If so, you’ve taken the first step toward getting the help you need.
At Mark Behavioral Health, we treat a range of mental health conditions, including those associated with substance use disorders.
Our plans are tailor-made to suit the person at the heart of the treatment, ensuring you get the bespoke care you need for lasting recovery.
When you’re battling a mental health condition, you may feel like you’re alone. But that’s far from the truth. At Mark Behavioral Health, we’re here to help you get started on your recovery journey, one step at a time.