Mental Health Matters: In Your Life

The stigma surrounding mental illness is powerful. Many believe that mental illness will never touch their lives, yet there are 54 million people in the United States who are enduring some form of mental illness. Experts report that that mental illness is more common than cancer, lung and heart disease combined and that there are over 200 forms of mental illness. Mental illness can strike anyone regardless of age, economic status, race, creed or color.

For over 50 years, the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) and the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH) have been working to help our nation overcome the stigma of mental illness by promoting May as National Mental Health Month. Touted as one of the nation's most recognized health observances, the campaign is dedicated to raising the public's awareness of mental health and illness.

This year's theme, “Mental Health Matters: In Your Life” is highlighted in the NMHA and NCCBH's Mental Health Month guide that contains suggestions on how to provide education and awareness about mental health issues to:

The media
Employers
Consumers
Faith and minority communities
Young people and families
College students
Older Americans
Policy-makers

The guide also provides materials for Childhood Depression Awareness Day; Children's Mental Health Week, sponsored by the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health; and Older American's Mental Health Week, sponsored by the Older Women's League (OWL).

For more information on how to access information about the Mental Health Month 2004 Camplaign, visit the National Mental Health Association at:

http://www.nmha.org/may/index.cfm