For more than 65 years, May has been recognized as Mental Health Month by local and national organizations alike. This is a time when, as a nation, we discuss mental health issues and work to improve the overall wellness of our communities.

Regardless of your background, you or someone you know may be dealing with the effects of poor mental health. Thankfully, there is a wide range of resources available to help you maintain a healthy, happy mind this month and throughout the year:

1. Download a Mind Your Health calendar for daily tips to boost your mood and physical wellness. Organizations can encourage healthy changes by using the resources in this Mental Health Month Toolkit.
2. Discover ways to improve your mental health such as staying connected with others, keeping a healthy diet, and establishing effective stress-coping techniques.
3. Determine whether you have mental health issues that need to be addressed with a preliminary screening. If the screening suggests seeking professional help, speak to your doctor or apply for mental health services. If you may be at risk for developing mental illness, visit the Healthy Changes Initiative for preventative tips.
4. Check out the many resources available for different mental health concerns including:
   • Dealing with empty nest syndrome;
   • Managing caregiver stress;
   • Getting postpartum depression help and support;
   • Finding substance abuse services and programs; and,
   • Using Marathon recovery services for those who continue to deal with last year’s traumatic events.
5. People with long-term mental illnesses can find support for securing employment, housing, and education through the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition (MCC).
6. Stay well with services from the National Alliance on Mental Health, including: resources for children and families, mental health education programs, and frequent events centered on mental health awareness.
7. Use one of the Department of Mental Health (DMH)’s resource guides for both individual and family support.
8. Mental health professionals, take time this month to refresh your knowledge about communication and counseling in the field with the Cultural Competency resource guide and these resources for talking about mental health in schools.
9. Understand the risk factors of suicide – a major, yet preventable mental health concern – and know where to find suicide prevention resources.
10. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call one of these organizations for help:
    • Samaritans Statewide Hotline: 1-877-870-HOPE (4673)
    • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255); press #1 if you are a Veteran
    • The Trevor Helpline: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR (488-7386); specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and young adults

Tell us what you’re doing this Mental Health Month in the comments below or by tweeting us, @MassGov.

Tags: Boston Marathon, coping with stress, family resources, LGBTQ, long-term mental illness, Mental Health, mental health screening, mindful health, suicide, suicide hotline, suicide prevention, veterans