Mental Health Awareness Month

Millions of people across the world live with mental illnesses. To recognize this issue and raise awareness about maintaining positive mental health, May is observed as Mental Health Awareness Month. During this month, we offer our appreciation to committed health providers whose services improve the lives of many people across the world suffering from mental health conditions.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people suffered from anxiety, trauma, and depression. When the pandemic hit, these conditions only got worse, creating a mental health disaster. This crisis has disproportionately affected minority populations as well. According to a study by Boston University, the rate of depression across the United States of America has more than tripled.

The effect of disruptions in youth's lives including social isolation and elimination of routine learning practices has exacerbated mental health conditions recently. Furthermore, the role of social media has also increased the mental health challenges that people face. The CDC estimates that the rate of suicide among girls has increased approximately 50% from 2019 to 2021.

However, there have been efforts to address this issue across the world. Early in 2021, the United States government passed the American Rescue Plan, which invested $5.5 billion nationwide to improve mental health care across the nation according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office. This law also invested a large amount of money into schools to provide proper treatment.

Nevertheless, far more needs to be done in order to substantially address the mental health crisis in the world. We need to raise more awareness about this issue so that more people can help others get better and prevent others from suffering. Additionally, more help needs to be provided to individuals already facing mental health issues so that they can become meaningful contributors to society.