Mayday for Mental Health: Why It Matters

Mental Health Awareness Month, observed every May, is an essential time dedicated to increasing public awareness of mental health issues and advocating for better mental health care worldwide. The observance of this month is significant because mental health impacts every aspect of our lives. Ranging from our emotions and thoughts to our relationships and physical well-being. The primary goal of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and to promote open dialogue that encourages individuals to seek help when needed. But why stop there?

 The origins of Mental Health Awareness can be traced back to 1949 by Mental Health America. At this moment in history, mental health was still heavily criticized. Society lacked understanding and, in some cases, proper protocol. Since its conception, May has become a month of advocacy, awareness campaigns, and education aimed at improving the overall mental health of communities.

To better understand why Mental Health Awareness matters, just acknowledge the numbers.  Millions are affected by mental illness every day. Mental Illness doesn’t discriminate; it can happen to anyone.  According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness reports, “22.8% of adults experienced mental illness.” One of the biggest reasons why Mental Health Awareness Month isn’t amplified more is due to the presence of stigma.  McLean Hospital amplifies this in a statement: “Public stigma includes stereotypes and discrimination held by the general population. Stereotypes include beliefs that people are responsible for their mental health issues”.

Some people deal with their mental health issues head-on. An example includes  Brooklyn College Student Veronica Rodriguez, 23 (she/her). Rodriguez speaks on the premise of depression. She was diagnosed with Depression in March 2025. “When it comes to when these depressive thoughts began, it all depends on the type of depressive individual you are. “For me, in the beginning, I was more passive.”  Rodriguez identifies the passiveness by how depression seeps into her mind sometimes. 

But sadness wasn’t just her marker; hope was present as well. “It’s all about taking it one day at a time, being more present with the people that I love. I may have depression, but it won’t stop me from living.”

Even Mental Health professionals like John McQueen, 65(he/him), a psychotherapist for Family Renaissance, spoke about the mental health crisis.  Recently, one of the points he made was why Mental Health Awareness Month matters and how it is not ostracizing those who have  Mental Health issues. “People are improperly understanding what Mental Health is,” McQueen stated in October 2024. “The way people describe Mental Health is different from mental illness. They are two completely different things.”

When it comes to the consensus of Mental Health Awareness Month, McQueen urges outsiders not to ridicule them.  Having a more compassionate outlook can help those who suffer from mental illness. “My job as a mental health professional is to understand where those feelings of anguish come from, not punish them. We all have our faults, that's what makes us human.”

 Some people find validation of who they are when it comes to Mental Health Awareness. It’s all about representation; seeing yourself in the media can help.  Some notable examples include singer and songwriter Billie Eilish  (she/her), 23, and model Cara Delevingne (she/her), 32.

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Being both of color and dealing with mental health can be very trivializing. Almost like intersectionality, which organizations such as The Mind Clan hyper-focus on. The Mind Clan states, "It is our responsibility to acknowledge that our mental health is impacted by our identities of gender, sexuality, caste, class, age, religion, and disability.”

This is the life of Queens College Student, David Williams (25 he /him), a Psychology Major talks about the brief mental hardships he faced. Williams stated, “Acknowledging that I suffer from Bipolar Disorder while being Black was easy for the most part, until individuals started patronizing me for it. Phrases that used to trigger me, 'Everyone's a little Bipolar sometimes’ or  'You are psycho’, really made me feel uneasy.” Despite that horrible experience,  triumph was here for Williams, and it came with self-acceptance. 

Williams continued, “I didn’t let these words bother me anymore. I am who I am, and I don’t care what others think of me”. I have a growing life ahead of me, and I  need to just start living more.”

Mental Health Awareness Month matters now more than ever. Even in the corporate world, anxiety disorders can be a big deal, especially on Mondays. According to Neuroscience, they stated, This 'Monday effect' suggests the cultural transition to a new week disrupts stress regulation, independent of work demands. Other key findings from the study also show older adults who reported Monday anxiety had 23% higher long-term cortisol levels than peers anxious on other days.

No matter the age, race, or creed, Mental Health Awareness is important.  The anecdotes of Veronica Rodriguez, Dr. John McQueen, and  David Williams are not the first or the last, but a normalization of better mental health conversations. If you are experiencing any of these tendencies, don’t hesitate to reach out to 988lifeline.org or NYC Well for more assistance.