October 10 of 2019 is World Mental Health Day, and the annual day is recognized on the Thursday of the first full week of October. It highlights mental health awareness and education, as well as advocacy to end the social stigma surrounding it.
This day also happens to be National Depression Screening Day. The idea for this annual day is that medical screenings such as vision and blood tests are commonplace, but no one really talks about screening for mental health issues. Today, Hammond Psychology is spreading awareness about these days because we too want to encourage education, and end the shame and disgrace associated with mental health issues.
Some fast facts about mental health:
- Globally, more than 800,000 people die by suicide every year
- It is the leading cause of death worldwide among people aged 15-29 (source)
- 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience some form of mental illness each year, and 1 in 25 experience one that is serious (source)
- Approximately 970 million people suffer from a mental or substance use disorder globally.
- 264 million people suffer from depression worldwide
- 16 million people in the world have an eating disorder
- 107 million people worldwide abuse alcohol, and 71 million worldwide abuse drugs (source)
We don’t share these numbers for shock value, though they are shocking. We share them to let you know that if you or someone you know is suffering from a mental health issue, you are not alone.
What can you do this world mental health day and every day?
In all honesty, the simplest thing you can do is start educating yourself on mental health issues. Here are some resources that may help:
- Learn the signs of depression here
- Click here if you know someone with suicidal ideation
- Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 if you are having thoughts of suicide
- Learn more about anxiety disorders on this website
- Get an overview of the most common mental health conditions here
If you don’t know about something, don’t make judgments about it. Instead, learn more and find out if there’s something you can do to help. Talk to your teachers and counselors about how to spread awareness about mental health. Let’s end the stigma and shame so that the people that need help the most, can feel safe about asking for help.