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While 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health. In 2020, our theme of Tools 2 Thrive will provide practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase resiliency regardless of the situations they are dealing with. We now believe that these tools – even those that may need to be adapted for the short term because of COVID-19 and social distancing – will be more useful than ever. Learn more by clicking on the icon.

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This Mental Health Month, challenge yourself to examine your world and how it can affect your overall health. Look around, look within - from your neighborhood to genetics, many factors come into play when it comes to your mental health.

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Mental Health Screening Tool. Click on the picture to take you to the Mental Health Screening Tool.

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While one in five people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health.

Mental Health America has offered quick, free, and private online mental health screens for over six years. Nearly five million people have used our screening program to check on their mental health.

Most of the people who have taken our screens have never been diagnosed with a mental illness before. They use our screening results to start conversations with mental health professionals, family members, or friends. Our screening program helps reduce the duration of untreated mental illness by equipping people with the tools they need to get help.

Think of what we could do if we screened one million people to take a screen this May.

Why screening?

Many people do not seek treatment in the early stages of mental illnesses because they don't recognize the symptoms.

84% of the time between first symptoms and first treatment is spent not recognizing the symptoms of mental illness. 16% of the time is spent getting help.

The delays in treatment for mental illnesses are longer than for many other health conditions. The delay in treatment for some mental illnesses are:

Anxiety Disorders: 9 to 23 years

Mood Disorders: 6 to 8 years

Psychosis: 1 to 2 years

Screening can help catch mental health problems early-B4Stage4. Screening is an anonymous, free and private way to learn about your mental health and if you are showing warning signs of a mental illness. Getting screened increases the chances of getting treatment.

A screening only takes a few minutes, and after you are finished you will be given information about the next steps you should take based on the results. A screening is not a diagnosis, but it can be a helpful tool for starting a conversation with your doctor or a loved one about your mental health.
Learn more about how screening helps
How you can help

Help us screen one million people by taking a mental health screen yourself, or donating to support our free screening tools all year. $1.25 is all it takes to change the trajectory of someone's life.

Take a screen Donate to support free screening

Spread the word
Click any of the icons below to share the Million In May Initiative on Facebook, Twitter, or by email.

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While one in five people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health. Mental Health America has offered quick, free, and private online mental health screens for over six years. Nearly five million people have used our screening program to check on their mental health.

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It can be easy to get caught up in your emotions as you’re feeling them. Most people don’t think about what emotions they are dealing with, but taking the time to really identify what you’re feeling can help you to better cope with challenging situations. CLICK ON THE ICON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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It can be easy to get caught up in your emotions as you're feeling them. Most people don't think about what emotions they are dealing with, but taking the time to really identify what you're feeling can help you to better cope with challenging situations

Fast Facts

The English language has over 3,000 words for emotions. [1]

People who are good at being specific about identifying and labeling their emotions are less likely to binge drink, be physically aggressive, or self-injure when distressed. [2]

When school-aged kids are taught about emotions for 20-30 minutes per week, their social behavior and school performance improves.[3]

Tips for Success

1. https://learnersdictionary.com/3000-words/topic/emotions-vocabulary-english

2. Kashdan, T. B., Barrett, L. F., McKnight, P. E. (2015). Unpacking Emotion Differentiation: Transforming Unpleasant Experience by Perceiving Distinctions in Negativity. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(1), 10-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414550708

3. Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., Reyes, M. R., & Salovey, P. (2012). Enhancing academic performance and social and emotional competence with the RULER feeling words curriculum. Learning and Individual Differences, 22, 218-224.

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It can be easy to get caught up in your emotions as you're feeling them. Most people don't think about what emotions they are dealing with, but taking the time to really identify what you're feeling can help you to better cope with challenging situations The English language has over 3,000 words for emotions.

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Developing or maintaining connections with others is essential in getting through tough times. At times, it is hard to know how to make those connections. Click on the icon below for some helpful tips on connecting with others. CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW TO LEARN HOW.

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It's possible to be surrounded by people and still feel alone. It's the connections we make with other people that help enrich our lives and get us through tough times, but sometimes it's hard to know how to make those connections.

Fast Facts

Research shows it can take 50 hours for someone you don't know that well to turn into a true friend. [1]

During the week, Americans watch an average of 2.5 hours of TV per day, but only spend half an hour per day socializing. [2]

The number of friendships you have early in your adult life and the closeness of those relationships can influence your wellbeing 30 years later. [3]

Tips for Connecting

Use shared experience as a topic of conversation. Use your current situation as a topic to talk about. Maybe you're stuck waiting in a long line, or you noticed someone is wearing a shirt from a place that you've been. Hometown sports, local news and events, or even the weather can also get a conversation going

Give compliments. If you're struggling to figure out what to say to someone to strike up a conversation, try starting with a compliment. You can comment on a person's outfit, tattoo, or a piece of jewelry that you like and maybe ask them where they got it. Use their response to continue the conversation, for example if they tell you they got it at a certain store, ask where that is.

Make time to be social. Going to work and taking care of life's other daily responsibilities is time consuming and many of us feel exhausted by the end of the day. While it's tempting to just sit on the sofa and zone out in front of the TV, that time can be spent in a more meaningful way. Set aside at least half an hour each day to connect with other people outside of work

1. Hall, J. A. (2019). How many hours does it take to make a friend? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(4), 1278-1296.

2. US Dept. of Labor. (2018). American time use survey. Retrieved fr om http://www.bls.gov/tus.

3. Carmichael, C. L., Reis, H. T., Duberstein, P. R. (2015). In your 20s it's quantity, in your 30s it's quality: The prognostic value of social activity across 30 years of adulthood. Psychology and Aging, 30, 95-105.

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It's possible to be surrounded by people and still feel alone. It's the connections we make with other people that help enrich our lives and get us through tough times, but sometimes it's hard to know how to make those connections.

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Here are some fast facts and tips for success in creating healthy routines that can improve your overall wellbeing. CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW TO LEARN HOW.

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Work, paying bills, cleaning, cooking, shopping, exercising, getting enough sleep, and taking care of children are just some of the things millions of Americans do each day and it is easy to be overwhelmed. It can feel impossible to get everything done, let alone take care of yourself - especially if you're already struggling with a mental health concern like depression or anxiety. By creating routines, we organize our days in such a way that taking care of tasks and ourselves becomes a pattern that makes it easier to get things done without having to think hard about them

Fast Facts

When it comes to diet, sleep and exercise, having good, strong routines is linked to improved mental and physical health. [1]

People with more daily routines have lower levels of distress when facing problems with their health or negative life events. [2]

It takes an average of 66 days for a behavior to become automatic (a habit), but for some people it can take as long as 8 1/2 months. Don't give up!. [3]

Tips for Success

Make swaps. Think about the things you do during the day that aren't so healthy and swap them with better behaviors. For example, if you feel sluggish in the afternoons and eat sugary snacks for a quick pick-me-up, try taking a brisk walk instead to get your blood pumping and endorphins flowing. Or if you find yourself having a few alcoholic drinks after a long stressful day, try sipping hot tea instead.

1. Haines, J., McDonald, J., O'Brien, A., Sherry, B., Bottino, C., Scmidt, M.E., Taveras, E.M. (2013) Healthy habits, happy homes: randomized trial to improve household routines among pre-school-aged children. JAMA Pediatrics, 167,1072-1090.

2. Williams, J. (2000) Effects of activity limitation and routinization on mental health. The Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 20,100S-105S.

3. Lallly, P., Van Jaarsveld, C.H.M., Potts, H.W.W., Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. Eur. J. Soc. Psychol., 40, 998-1009.

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Work, paying bills, cleaning, cooking, shopping, exercising, getting enough sleep, and taking care of children are just some of the things millions of Americans do each day and it is easy to be overwhelmed. It can feel impossible to get everything done, let alone take care of yourself - especially if you're already struggling with a mental health concern like depression or anxiety.

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While 1 in 5 people will experience a diagnosable mental health condition in their lives, 5 out of 5 people will go through a challenging time that affects their mental health. There are simple things that every person can say or do to help the people in their life who are struggling to get through the tough times. CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW TO LEARN MORE

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1. Ozbay, F., Johnson, D. C., Dimoulas, E., Morgan III, C. A., Charney, D., & Southwick, S. (2007). Social support and resilience to stress: from neurobiology to clinical practice. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 4(5),35.

2. Inagaki, T. K., Bryne Haltom, K. E., Suzuki, S., Jevtic, I., Hornstein, E., Bower, J. E., & Eisenberger, N. I. (2016). The Neurobiology of Giving Versus Receiving Support: The Role of Stress-Related and Social Reward-Related Neural Activity. Psychosomatic medicine, 78(4), 443-453. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000302

3. The Trevor Project. (2019). National Survey on LGBTQ Mental Health. New York, New York: The Trevor Project.

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There are simple things that every person can say or do to help the people in their life who are struggling to get through the tough times.

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Certain people and situations in life can trigger us to feel badly about ourselves or engage in destructive behaviors. Identifying the toxic influences in our lives and taking steps to create boundaries or a new life without them can improve mental and physical health over time. CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW TO LEARN HOW.

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Certain people and situations in life can trigger us to feel badly about ourselves or engage in destructive behaviors. Identifying the toxic influences in our lives and taking steps to create boundaries or a new life without them can improve mental and physical health over time.

Fast Facts

An average of 80% of Americans have experienced emotional abuse. [1]

Approximately ¾ of U.S. employees have, or have had a toxic boss according to a 2018 survey from Monster.com [2]

Toxic friends are common. 84% of women and 75% of men report having a toxic friend at some point. [3]

Traits of Toxic People

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Certain people and situations in life can trigger us to feel badly about ourselves or engage in destructive behaviors. Identifying the toxic influences in our lives and taking steps to create boundaries or a new life without them can improve mental and physical health over time.

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At some point in our lives we will all experience loss. It may be the end of a relationship, being let go from a job, losing a home, or the death of a loved one. It is natural to go through a grieving process. By looking for opportunity in adversity or finding ways to remember the good things about who or what we’ve lost, we can help ourselves to recover mentally and emotionally. CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW TO LEARN HOW.

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At some point in our lives we will all experience loss. It may be the end of a relationship, being let go from a job, losing a home, or the death of a loved one. It is natural to go through a grieving process. By looking for opportunity in adversity or finding ways to remember the good things about who or what we've lost, we can help ourselves to recover mentally and emotionally.

Fast Facts

You are not alone! Nearly 60% of people have experienced a major loss in the last 3 years. [1]

Healing takes time. Following a loss, nearly half of people said it took up to 6 months for their strong feelings of grief to lessen. [2]

You might literally hurt.
Over 2/3 of people who went through a life-changing event had physical symptoms while they were grieving. [3]

Tips for Getting By

1. WebMD. (2019). Grief: Beyond the 5 Stages conducted by AmeriSpeak. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/grief-stages/20190711/the-grief-experience-survey-shows-its-complicated.

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At some point in our lives we will all experience loss. It may be the end of a relationship, being let go from a job, losing a home, or the death of a loved one. It is natural to go through a grieving process.