Mental Health Awareness Month is Back

It’s May which means many things, hotter temperatures, summer vacation, graduation, and Mental Health Awareness Month.  

The National Alliance of Mental Health Insitute (NAMI) is celebrating this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month with the #MoreThanEnough campaign. Launching today (May 1, 2023) the campaign will emphasize people’s inherent value and potential for fulfilling lives, while promoting resources and events that encourage connection and support.,” a NAMI press release said. 

The organization saw a huge spike in the number of people needing help with mental health issues from 2016 to 2022. The NAMI HelpLine saw a 300 percent increase in “help-seekers” during that time period. Those who needed help in either a crisis situation or had suicidal thoughts went from 3.3 percent in 2020 to 7.7 percent in 2023.  

“NAMI’s #MoreThanEnough is a powerful message of hope and unity, emphasizing that people living with mental health conditions are deserving of the love, support, and resources to help them lead fulfilling lives,” said NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison Jr. “Let’s make the 2023 Mental Health Awareness Month a turning point for acceptance, understanding, and action in the face of the ongoing mental health crisis.” 

Thousands of people deal with mental health problems every day and there are many ways it can present itself. There is anxiety, depression, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), bipolar disorder, etc. NAMI is just one of the many organizations that are fighting this ever-growing issue.  

In fact, President Joe Biden has even weighed in on Mental Health Awareness Month with a proclamation on April 28. Biden is focusing on expanding mental healthcare, especially for veterans who struggle with suicidal thoughts he said in his statement.  

Utah has been on the higher end of having individuals who have mental health conditions. In February of 2023, 33.3 percent of Utah adults had either anxiety or depressive order, a Kaiser Family Foundation study found. The national average is 32.3 percent.  

Resources For Mental Health Help in Utah: 

• 988 National Suicide & Crisis Hotline https://988lifeline.org/ 
• https://www.namiut.org/ 
• Intermountain Behavioral Health https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/st-george-regional-hospital/medical-specialties/behavioral-health/ 
• https://hopesquad.com/utah-resources/ 
• https://www.onoursleeves.org/mental-health-resources/national-state-resources/utah 
• Washington County Children’s Justice Center (there are locations all over the state). https://cjcwc.com/services/ 

If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health condition, use the resources above or call 911 for related emergencies.