Mental Health Awareness Month occurs throughout the month of May. Phi Kappa Psi participates in raising awareness through this month as part of the ELEVATE initiative. This awareness is particularly important given the prevalence of mental health struggles in college students and men in general. According to the Movember Foundation, 1 in 4 adults will experience a mental health problem in a given year. Active Minds further reports:

An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older – or about 1 in 4 adults – live with a diagnosable mental health disorder.
Compared to older adults, the 18-24 year old age group shows the lowest rate of help-seeking.
Almost one third of all college students report having felt so depressed that they had trouble functioning.
Mental health issues in the college student population, such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, are associated with lower GPA and higher probability of dropping out of college.
More than 80% of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year and 45% have felt things were hopeless.

Consider how you can ELEVATE mental health throughout May

  • Emphasize that there are a variety of resources for brothers available to help them manage their mental health. What works for one brother might not work for another. Providing options for help and support allows brothers to learn what options are available and determine which might be best for them.
  • Share information about your campus health center and counseling center at your chapter meeting. Include information on hours, location, phone number, and services. Both of these centers have resources that can play a role in care and education.
  •  If available, share information about community-based resources. Some brothers may not feel comfortable accessing services on-campus. Many communities have resources that may offer free or reduced fee services, including counseling, support groups, and information for those who need support.
Download the chapter toolkit

You can learn more about the month and mental health on the following sites:

  • Mental Health America promotes the overall mental health of all Americans. They have resources on their website around the Fitness #4Mind4Body theme. Throughout the month of May, they will also have a daily challenge to help improve overall health.
  • JED Foundation provides resources for teens and young adults around mental health. This includes information on how to get help for yourself or a friend.
  • Movember Foundation focuses on mental health and suicide prevention as part of its work to expand the conversation on men’s health. This includes Heads Up Guys which is a men’s depression resource.
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