Mental Health Awareness Month — Did You Know?

Did You Know? Mental health refers to physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.

Did You Know? A lime green ribbon has been proposed as the national color for mental health awareness.

Did You Know? 23% of all adults in the U.S. (59.3 million people in 2022) have some type of mental illness.

Did You Know? 5.5% of U.S. adults (14.1 million people in 2021) have serious mental illness.

Did You Know? 7.6% of U.S. adults have dual diagnoses (co-occurring disorders) of both mental illness and substance use disorders.

Did You Know? PTSD affects 9 million adults in the U.S.

Did You Know? The main character in the 2001 movie A Beautiful Mind had the mental illness of Schizophrenia.

Did You Know? Five dimensions of wellness include physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual.

Did You Know? Half of all mental disorders begin by age 14.

Did You Know? People with mental illness are not dangerous or violent. In any given year, however, more than 25% of people with severe mental illness are victims of violence, at a rate 12 times higher than the general population.

Did You Know? The most common group of mental disorders in the world is anxiety disorders.

Did You Know? The country with the highest rate of depression is China.

Did You Know? The country that spends the most on mental health services per capita is Norway.

Did You Know? The country that has the most psychologists per capita is Argentina.

Did You Know? The mental disorder most strongly associated with high IQ is Bipolar Disorder.

Did You Know? The first mental illness to be recognized by the American Psychiatric Association was Melancholia (now called Major Depressive Disorder).

Did You Know? The first university to offer a degree in Psychology was Harvard University.

Did You Know? Much of mental health stigma is caused by lack of knowledge, ignorance, prejudice, and negative stereotypes.

Did You Know? Serious mental illnesses cost an estimated $300 billion nationwide.

Did You Know? The national Suicide Lifeline is 988. You can call or text this number, and you can online message this Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.

Did You Know? Mental illness is usually caused by genetics, stress (including trauma), or both.

Did You Know? Mental health can be improved by talking with a trained professional, medication, exercise, building strong social connections, and getting enough sleep.

Did You Know? Mental health professionals include licensed psychologists (LPs – Ph.D. or Psy.D. doctors), psychiatrists (M.D. doctors), licensed professional counselors (LPCs), and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs).

Did You Know? A good way to support someone who is struggling with mental illness is to listen to them without judgment and encourage them to seek help.

Did You Know? A common sign of good mental health is being able to handle everyday stress.

Did You Know? Self-care refers to taking actions to maintain or improve your mental, emotional, and physical health.

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This information is from NIMH, emmresourcecenter.org, SAMHSA, mhanational.org, studentmentalhealthtoolkit.com