You may have heard of Mental Health Awareness Month, but did you know that numerous related organizations have been observing MHAM in May each year since 1949?
Mental Health America (then known as the National Association for Mental Health) launched the annual event to not only bring mental illnesses to the forefront of our societal conversations on health, but also to erode the stigma associated with these conditions.
The impetus for Mental Health Awareness Month is the high prevalence of trauma and everyday struggles associated with mental illnesses across all demographics, which encompass over a dozen categories of diagnoses.
These can include depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder (BPD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette’s syndrome, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), dementia, autism, and addiction, to name a few.
According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, nearly 450 million people worldwide are currently living with a mental illness, yet nearly two thirds of people with a known mental illness never seek treatment.
These figures have only worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with a critical shortage of behavioral health-trained providers. Indeed, the Department of Health & Human Services has found that more than a third of Americans live in designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas.
The crisis is even more intense for young people, for whom the prevalence of anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges have steadily rising over the past 10 years. In fact, the National Institute of Mental Health reports that suicide remains the second leading cause of death among children between the ages of 10 and 14, as well as young adults between the ages of 24 and 35.
If you'd like to learn more about mental health perspectives, challenges, and remedies, we invite you to dive into all the free resources your Anne Arundel County Public Library has to offer, including such terrific tools as our Healing Library kits that can be checked out to help young children process grief after the death of a loved one.
Enjoy our curated list of related events below, as well as our book lists for adults, teens and young adults, and kids!
Events This Month
DSS Social Worker at the library – Department of Social Services Social Workers make weekly visits to the Brooklyn Park, Deale and Edgewater libraries to connect customers with county and state resources available for financial assistance, immigration help, substance abuse counseling and more. Find more information about making appointments.
The Human Library®: Unjudge Someone – Saturday, May 14 from 10 AM to 3 PM at Busch Annapolis Library -- The Human Library® is, in the true sense of the word, a library of people. We host events where readers can borrow human beings serving as open books and have conversations they would not normally have access to. Every human book from our bookshelf represents a group in our society that is often subjected to prejudice, stigmatization, or discrimination because of their lifestyle, diagnosis, belief, disability, social status, ethnic origin, etc. Human books are available for checkout to individual or small group readers for respectful interaction and purposeful dialogue. Sign up and checkout will occur onsite the day of the event. Bring your questions and an open mind. More information.
SMASH! The Diet Culture – Tuesday, May 17 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM at Busch Annapolis Library -- This program will explore the harm diet culture has done to many. It will include information about the myths of BMI, how to spot a harmful diet, embracing Body Positivity, and intuitive eating. This is a three part program but you may attend one or all.
Building Patience in Children – Wednesday, May 18 at 7 PM at Severna Park Library -- Learning to wait and working toward a goal are important parts of growing up. As children learn that their needs will be met, they will be able to wait for longer periods of time. They will need to wait as teens for a car, to earn money to buy something, to have more autonomy. Having practice in waiting during childhood gives them confidence that they are in control over the decisions they make. Understand the remarkable power of your influence to help children handle the tension of waiting and learn to respect and nurture them and yourself with love. Presented by behavioral specialist Cheryl Townshend, M.Ed.
Dealing with Dementia-Related Behaviors – Thursday, May 19 at 2 PM at Severn Library -- Join us for a presentation from the Department of Aging, to discuss how to deal with dementia related behaviors. As an individual with dementia loses their ability to communicate with words, behavior becomes a powerful form of communication. Often, it is an individual’s only way to communicate their needs, their feelings, and their pain. Sometimes these behaviors pose real challenges for the caregiver. This workshop will identify some common difficult behaviors and their triggers, as well as strategies to help decrease them.
Family Yoga – Saturday, May 21 from 10:15-11 AM at Odenton Regional Library -- Take a moment for mindfulness as a family. Join us for a storytime incorporating yoga and movement with stories and songs. Please bring a mat if you have one or a towel.
Mindful Kids – Saturday, May 21 at 11 AM at Maryland City at Russett Library -- In this introduction to mindfulness, children will learn learn about their minds and how breathing and listening can help them find a calm space. Parents are invited to attend as well to help reinforce the skills learned.
Sensory Storytime is Back! – Saturday, May 21 at 2 PM at Discoveries: the Library at the Mall -- This monthly storytime is specifically designed for children ages 3-7 years who are neurodiverse or with different sensory abilities. Registration is required, as this is a limited capacity event. Siblings welcome. Please register once per family.
Dungeons & Dragons and Mental Health – Wednesday, May 25 at 7 PM on Zoom - Learn about the mental health benefits of playing roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons from Charlene McPhereson, a local psychotherapist who is also a Certified Therapeutic Game Master. Discover how escaping into a magical fantasy realm can help you improve your ability to connect, socialize, and problem solve in the real world.
Neurodiverse Meet Up – Thursday, May 26 at 11 AM at Discoveries: the Library at the Mall -- Enjoy games and activities at Discoveries: The Library at the Mall during this monthly social event for neurodiverse adults. Everyone is welcome, so come join us to socialize and meet some new friends.
Family Mindfulness Class – Thursday, May 26 at 7 PM at Severna Park Library -- Join Dr. Peters, certified mindfulness professional, for Family Mindfulness Class, an interactive combination of games, creative activities, scientific mini-lessons, discussion, and breath work. This class is for parents/caregivers and kids ages 6-10.
Teen Writers Club ‘One Day at a Time’: Journal for Mental Health – Thursday, May 26 from 7-8:30 PM on Zoom -- It's OK to feel stressed, overwhelmed, tired, or lost. These are human feelings. Journaling gives us a safe space to express our raw thoughts, and in doing so, understand our feelings, relieve stress, and discover what we want and need to keep going, one day at a time. In this workshop, wellness practitioner Alina Liao, founder of Zenit Journals, will guide you in journaling to support your mental health and wellness. We'll talk about the benefits of journaling, do some journaling together with prompts and calming music, and talk about our reflections to support each other in community.