Mental Health Blog Party

Mental health affects everyone and everything we do. Yet, mental health is a topic many don’t feel comfortable discussing. Join us on May 16, 2012, to spread the importance of good mental health and reduce its stigma.

How can you help people recognize the importance of good mental health, overcome stigma, and seek out professional mental health services when needed?

• Join APA on Wednesday, May 16, and publish a post on your blog about mental health’s importance, how we can diminish stigma, or the challenges of making lifestyle and behavior changes. Tell your story. Share your experience. Mental health affects everything we do. No matter what you regularly blog about, there’s a way to incorporate mental health.
• Follow @apahelpcenter on Twitter for updates about the blog party and mind/body health. If you want us to easily find your blog or tweet, use the hashtag #mhblogday
• Post an “I’m Blogging for Mental Health” 2012 badge on your blog and help proudly spread the word about the importance of mental health.

• We’ll update the APA blog throughout the day with highlights of what people are writing about and sharing. (Here’s our round-up of links from last year.)
• Share stories, tips, and personal experiences about mental health to reinforce the shared challenges we face when it comes to managing our overall health and wellness.
• Post a video on YouTube, talking about why mental health matters to you. Or maybe you’d like to upload photos to Flickr. Let us know what you’ve done, so we can share it with others.
• Get resources about mental health, mind/body health, and family well-being at:
  www.apa.org/helpcenter
  www.youtube.com/apahelpcenter
  http://www.ymca.net/healthy-family-home/
  http://www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov/index.html
  http://www.realwarriors.net/
  http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may
• Be a fan of the American Psychological Association on Facebook and share your post there.

Send us a message if you want to take part in it this year and help spread the word.

Event Background

Mental health: it’s the way your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect your life. Having good mental health helps you make better decisions and deal with daily stressors at home, at work, and in your family. Sometimes, you may need help from a professional to take care of your mental health, especially if feelings or problems seem beyond your control.

Congress designated May as Mental Health Month in 1949 to illustrate the importance of mental health issues to the overall health and well-being of American citizens. On May 16, bloggers will come together for a Mental Health Month Blog Party to educate the public about mental health, decrease stigma about mental illness, and discuss strategies for making lasting lifestyle and behavior changes that promote overall health and wellness.

You can see some of the great blogs that contributed to this year’s event at our 2011 Mental Health Month Blog Party round-up.

If you want to trip down memory lane, here are the posts from the 2010 Mental Health Month Blog Day Party.

Some facts about mental health

• One in four Americans experiences a mental health disorder every year, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.
• Chronic stress can affect both our physical and psychological well-being by causing a variety of problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.
• Research published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior (Vol. 41, No. 2) finds that 68 percent of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness marrying into their family and 58 percent do not want people with mental illness in their workplaces.