May is Mental Health Awareness Month and every year the goal is to fight the stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness. Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in May in the United States since 1949, reaching millions of people through the media, local events and screenings. According to Mental Health of America (https://www.mhanational.org/mental-health-month), while 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health. Mental Health Awareness Week is May 18th through May 24th.

Mental health is everyone’s business because we all have times when we feel down, stressed or frightened. Most of the time those feelings pass. But sometimes they develop into a more serious problem and that could happen to anyone. Everyone is different. You may bounce back from a setback while someone else may feel weighted down by it for a long time. For that reason, JFI supports the efforts of Mental Health America and Mental Health Awareness Month. Also, numerous suicides and suicide attempts have been attributed to undiagnosed and/or under treated mental illness.

Mental or addictive disorders are associated with 90% of suicides. In the last Youth Risk Behavioral Survey (CDC, 2017) conducted and release report for Texas, 34.2% of High School Youth said they had “experienced the feeling of hopelessness and sadness for a constant period of two weeks or greater during the past twelve months (possible beginning of clinical depression).”

What can you do for Mental Health Awareness Month in your community? You can get involved by sharing and promoting The Jason Foundation as a resource through your media outlets (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, podcast, videos, newsletters, etc.). The Jason Foundation is dedicated to the awareness and prevention of youth suicide through educational programs that equip youth, parents, educators, and the community with the tools and resources to identify and assist at-risk youth. By knowing the warning signs, and knowing how to help, you could save a life. Visit The Jason Foundation’s website to learn more about youth suicide, the warning signs, and how you can help make a difference. The Jason Foundation has never charged a school, community, or individual for the use of their programs or resources. www.jasonfoundation.com