Friends, colleagues, and community,
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and, in 2021, it finds us after a year of unprecedented stress, sacrifice, and resilience. So many of us are feeling the strain of these unusual times. Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to seek support for ourselves and our loved ones in navigating these challenges; it is also a time to do our part in lifting the veil of stigma and misinformation about mental health conditions. Here at the SPIRIT Lab, we are committed to providing information about psychosis and improving the standard of care for those who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. We know that psychotic experiences are common and can cause significant distress or impairment. We also know that psychosis is understandable, modifiable, and treatable. On our website, you can learn more about:
- Psychosis
- How psychosis is treated
- Where you or a loved one can access care
- Resources you can access immediately to learn more about psychosis
- Upcoming events hosted by our lab
- Our research on psychosis treatment and recovery
- Implementation of evidence-based treatments for early and persistent psychosis
Mental Health Awareness Month is a global initiative, and many different professional organizations have developed programs to further the conversation around destigmatizing and improving treatment for mental health. We welcome you to review the list of organizations below to learn more about these important efforts:
Action Alliance
- Encouraging participation in National Weekend of Prayer for Faith, Hope & Life on May 14-16, which brings together all faith communities from across the country to pray for those touched by suicide or who are in crisis
- Promoting #BeThere messaging across social media platforms
Active Minds
Promoting the #HereForYou campaign by encouraging individuals to take the Here for You pledge to 1) actively listen when someone is struggling; 2) model kindness, trust, and vulnerability; 3) learn about mental health resources available in the community; and 4) commit to continuing the conversation
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Promoting #MentalHealth4All campaign, which encourages everyone to get involved by taking one simple action to encourage friends, family, and community to take mental health seriously
The Jed Foundation
- Hosting an Each and Every Day panel discussion on May 20th
- Promoting tools on how to #SeizeTheAwkward that can start a conversation about mental health
Mental Health America
Promoting the #Tools2Thrive campaign, providing practical tools everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase their resiliency
Mental Health Coalition
- Hosting the 1-2-1 series every day in May on Instagram where an influencer and mental health advocate will have a conversation about mental health
- Promoting the Roadmap to Friends Supporting Friends, which outlines ideas to make the process of checking in on your friends easier
NAMI
Promoting the You Are Not Alone (#NotAlone) campaign, which focuses on the power of connection for those affected by mental illness
National Institute of Mental Health
Promoting messaging focused on checking in with ourselves and loved ones across social media platforms throughout the month
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline/ Vibrant Behavioral Health
- Co-hosting Twitter chat on Tuesday, May 18th at 1:30pm ET with Mental Health America focused on COVID-19, its effects on mental health, and ways to cope as areas begin to open up again
- Participating in Stamp Out Stigma’s Mental Health Month Twitter Chat on Thursday, May 27th from 1-2pm ET
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- Developing a Director’s Corner column about mental health awareness
- Promoting the new Suicide and Serious Mental Illness report, which provides an overview of considerations, assessment, and safety planning
- Releasing a May issue of the State Suicide Prevention Infrastructure update newsletter
- Cross-promoting partner content on social media and in the Weekly Spark
The Trevor Project
Releasing its third annual National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health in mid-May, featuring brand new data around the impacts of COVID-19, mental health care disparities, discrimination, food insecurity, conversion therapy, and more. Trevor will share a social media toolkit prior to the release.
Other Activities
ViacomCBS is also bringing together 200+ leading brands, nonprofits, and cultural leaders for the first national Mental Health Action Day on Thursday, May 20th. The goal of Mental Health Action Day is to drive our culture from awareness to action by equipping folks with tangible tools that will help us all take an action for ourselves, our loved ones, and our community. If you haven’t already, there is still time for your organization to become a partner of this important initiative (click here to learn more).
We hope these resources help foster important discussions in your own life about how to support a happier, healthier, and more just future for people whose lives have been touched by mental illness. If you or someone you care about is struggling, it is never too late to reach out and find support. We are happy to help however we can – feel free to reach out to us at uwspiritlab@uw.edu.
Sincerely,
The University of Washington SPIRIT Lab