May is National Mental Health Month

(My thanks to Cecile Douglas of SAMHSA for this information)
It is a fact! Good mental health is essential to the personal well-being of everyone. Good mental health enhances our ability to lead healthy, balanced, and productive lives. Mental health problems can affect anyone, and the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is diligent in its efforts to address mental health issues in children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly.

May is National Mental Health Month, and SAMHSA’s National Mental Health Information Center is pleased to include this annual health observance among its special web page features this month. The theme for this year is “Mental Health Matters Every Day.”

Located at http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/highlights/May2003/mentalhealth/, this web page provides details about activities and programs developed by CMHS and other private sector organizations to improve services to individuals with mental illnesses and to help consumers consistently maintain good mental health.

Other related features for May, available to you and your readers on SAMHSA’s National Mental Health Information Center web site, include:

• The National Suicide Awareness Week web page at http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/highlights/May2003/suicide/, which highlights this celebration taking place May 4-11. The event sponsor, the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), and its partners use this opportunity each year to disseminate information and resources on risk factors for suicide and emphasize prevention strategies.
  
  
• Childhood Depression Awareness Day, which is observed May 6. Celebrated by the National Mental Health Association and its affiliates since 1997, this observance is designed to bring attention to childhood mental illness, a condition that is becoming increasingly more common. Recent SAMHSA research finds that one out of every 33 children may have depression. Go to http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/highlights/May2003/depression/ to learn about the signs and symptoms of this mood disorder and find out what parents and caregivers can do.
  
  
• The CMHS Program Spotlight, featuring the Survey and Analysis Branch. This CMHS Branch collects, analyzes, and reports national statistical information on mental health services and the people served. Visit this special feature page at http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/highlights/May2003/spotlight/ to learn more about the program’s operations and projects.
  

All the featured sites referred to here link users to publications, related topics, and a select list of links to organizations that offer additional information on each topic. These resources are available for free to you and your audiences. You are invited to link to this information on your web site, post the content to your site with a link to the National Mental Health Information Center’s web site as your source, or use it in whatever way is most convenient for you.
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The National Mental Health Information Center (http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/) is a service of SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Call 1-800-789-2647 for bilingual information services; (TDD) 866-889-2647.