The Importance of Mental Health Awareness Month: Insights and Actions

Every year, Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) reminds us our mental health shouldn’t be a priority for just one month. In fact, MHAM reminds us of the numerous ways we can continue integrating healthy lifestyle habits into our everyday lives. MHAM also offers us a chance to reflect on the stories, discoveries, and groundbreaking research that enlighten us on one of our body’s most powerful organs and how it processes our lived experiences: our brain.

Current Events and Mental Health: A Global Perspective

Here’s an example: as current events unfold in the Middle East, a recent ABC News article cited data from UNICEF revealing just how catastrophic living in a war zone can be – especially for young children, aid workers, and civilians. 

Mental Health in the United States

Back at home, the U.S. News and World Report claimed we were ranked 29th in the world for prevalence of depressive disorders just last year – the largest country of 30 with the highest rates of depression. 

Mental Health Crisis in Colorado

And in our own backyard, around 880,000 Coloradans could not get the mental health care they needed last year, the highest ever documented by the Colorado Health Institute’s most recent Health Access Survey – and more than double the rate since 2017. 

What Mental Health Awareness Month Means This Year

It means remaining conscious of how Nobody’s Perfect Community can pivot – at any given moment – to serve more and more individuals struggling with mental health, regardless of where they are on their journeys or where they come from. 

Our Commitment to Mental Health

It means remaining committed to you – our fearless leaders, listeners, and advocates – by staying dialed in to the evolution of mental health as we grow more knowledgeable of our brains and bodies. But most importantly, it means remaining connected to you by providing the most current, clinically-approved resources and insights from people and places that support youth, parents, caregivers, educators, and professionals everywhere in search of a community who is relentless in its passion for better mental health for all. 

Dismantling the Illusion of Perfection

Perfection is an illusion that’s fueled the present narrative surrounding the state of mental health today, but I’m confident that together, we can dismantle that premise – one story, one solution, and one step at a time. 

By Jason Hopcus