May 2022 PSA: Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Increased awareness of mental health can help the millions of people who are impacted by mental health issues throughout the United States. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that one in five adults have had or currently have symptoms of a mental illness.

According to a recent study done by Blue Cross Blue Shield diagnoses of major depression have risen dramatically by 33 percent since 2013. This rate is rising even faster among millennials (up 47 percent) and adolescents (up 47 percent for boys and 65 percent for girls).  This study also found that Minnesota is ranked the 4th most-depressed state in the nation.

Info graph courtesy of BlueCross BlueShield

Mental illnesses include many different conditions that vary in degree of severity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe.  MAPA encourages you to talk with your health care provider and to access these resources for additional information:

Mental Health by the Numbers from National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)

Mental Health Minnesota

National Institute of Mental Health

NIMH Mental Health Information

Mental Health Foundation  

Mayo Clinic