Mental Heath Awareness Month

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five American adults experiences some form of mental illness in any given year.

Established in 1949 by Mental Health America, Mental Health Awareness Month started with the incredible story of one person, Clifford W. Beers, who, in 1908, wrote an autobiography about his struggle with mental illness and the horrible conditions he and millions of others endured in mental institutions throughout the country. That same year, he formed the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene in 1908, which became the predecessor for the organization we know today as Mental Health America.

His story led to a movement.

Today, each May, organizations across the country celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month to raise awareness of those living with mental health issues and to provide support for those who are struggling with mental illness or know someone who is.

This year’s theme is Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World.