Medically Reviewed By Dr Ashish Panwar
Mental Health Awareness Month is an initiative aimed at reducing the stereotypical mindset prevalent in society and mental illness in today’s busy life. An interesting article has been written about its purpose, its theme and its history which will tell you well about Mental Health Awareness Month.
History and Objectives of Mental Health Awareness Month
World Mental Health Awareness Month was first celebrated in 1949 in the month of “May” and was started by Mental Health America (MHA). Know the goal of this month celebrating mental health:
To make people aware and educate them about mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
To promote early intervention and prevention strategies and to tell the society about its importance.
To implement and fight for better mental health policies and resources in society.
To remove the stigma and common misconceptions associated with mental health issues.
When is Mental Health Awareness Month?
Your Answer: Its “May”
Why is mental health awareness so important?
Nowadays millions of people around the world are suffering from mental health conditions, but the worrying thing is that people consider it stigmatized and misunderstood and hesitate to tell people about it, they think what the society will think of them.
Under this awareness, every year in the month of “May” awareness campaigns keep open dialogue among people about mental health and also spread awareness about how to maintain good mental health and how to take care of mental illness.
Mental Health Awareness 2025 Themes and Campaigns
Every year, organizations like MHA (Mental Health America), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and World Health Organization (WHO) choose a theme to focus on specific types of mental health issues so that awareness can be spread about it. For example, the themes of Mental Health Awareness Month for the last 5 years have been as follows:
2024: “Where to Start” – Focuses on guiding people to start their mental health journey.
2023: “Look Around, Look Within” – Focused on understanding the impact of the environment on mental health.
2022: “Back to Basics” – Focused on mental health basics and ways to get help.
2021: “#Tools2Thrive” – Practical tips to improve mental health and resilience.
2020: “#Tools2Thrive” – Focused on meeting mental health needs during COVID-19.
Major events during World Mental Health Awareness Month
Social media campaigns (#MentalHealthAwareness, #EndTheStigma)
Community events (seminars, mental health checkups, support group meetings)
Educational initiatives (schools and workplaces promote mental health)
Raising funds for mental health research and resources
Major awareness days related to mental health
World Mental Health Day (October 10): Global focus on mental health awareness.
Suicide Prevention Month (September): Emphasizes on suicide prevention efforts.
National Stress Awareness Month (April): Highlights stress management.
How you can participate in this awareness event
You can spread awareness, remove the stigma about mental health among people, clear the misconceptions spread about it, you can sit among people and counsel them.
If you see something wrong happening, you can report it. You can contribute to the welfare of people by spreading positive mental health in society.
Hello, I am Dr. Ashish. I have lot of experience in medical field and education, I have gained lot of knowledge in my entrance exam life and medical studies which I want to share with everyone so that I can help more and more people.