May is Mental Health Month

For over 65 years, Mental Health America and affiliates have led this observance of ‘mental health month’ by reaching millions of people through local and nationwide events, screenings and media. According to mentalhealthamerica.net, 1 in 5 American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year. Additionally, 50 % of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their life and half will develop conditions by the age of 14.  There are typically four stages involved in mental health conditions but the most important is the ‘early identification and intervention.’ One of the best ways to see if you are experiencing symptoms is to take a screening. Visit www.mhascreening.org to take a quick, confidential screening for a variety of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, mood disorders or PTSD. Mental health conditions are common and treatable and it may take time to figure out what works best for you. For more information about what you should know and what you can do at each stage, visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may.