Today (May 15) marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, an opportunity to learn more about issues surrounding mental health and to advocate for change.
Every year, communities and decision makers come together to think about how to make our society more compassionate, aware and supportive when it comes to mental wellbeing.
The theme for the week changes each year. For instance, previous years’ themes included nature and mental health, kindness and body image.
Here is a look at this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, including when it is, what its theme will be and how you can get involved.
When is Mental Health Awareness Week 2023?
This year, Mental Health Awareness Week will take place between May 15 and May 21.
The Mental Health Foundation created the week 27 years ago with the hope of inspiring and educating people to understand and prioritise their and others’ mental health.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 Theme
The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is anxiety.
The Mental Health Foundation said that its recent survey showed that a quarter of adults reported feeling so anxious that it stopped them from doing the things they want to do some or all of the time.
Talking about the theme, the foundation said: “Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.
“Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food.”
How to get involved with Mental Health Awareness Week
There are a number of ways in which you can get involved.
Often, Mental Health Foundation will encourage people to get involved on social media by sharing their personal experiences with dedicated hashtags. However, this year’s hashtags haven’t been revealed yet.
You can also skydive to raise money for the charity. The foundation is offering a 50 percent registration fee discount, making it just £35 to sign up, and asks you to commit to raising £395.
You can also make a donation and support the charity’s fight for good mental health for all.
Alternatively, you can hold a Wear It Green Day at your school or workplace to raise money for the cause.
What is the Mental Health Foundation?
The Mental Health Foundation is a UK charity established in 1949. It is involved in community and peer programmes, researches the causes of poor mental health, leads public awareness campaigns and advocates for change to address the underlying causes of poor mental health.
The foundation’s website says: “Prevention is at the heart of what we do. Our knowledge, informed by rigorous research and practical based study, has been pioneering change for more than 70 years and we aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo or tackle difficult or under researched issues.”
