Finley Focuses on Mental Health Awareness Month

J. Taylor Finley Middle School counselor Lissany Batista and Dean of Students Amanda Shaffer along with the building’s mental health team, collaborated on a month of May “Go Green” initiative to raise awareness about important mental health related issues.

Every Friday in May staff and students are flooding the hallways with green and students are participating in various activities to spread awareness. On May 3rd, students participated in an activity during their lunch period to help spread positivity throughout Finley Middle School by sharing positive affirmations and coping skills.

“Since its inception in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been a cornerstone of addressing the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions,” according to the National Alliance for Mental Health.

The month is dedicated to eradicating stigma, extending support, fostering public education and advocating for policies that prioritize the well-being of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

Consider the following facts:

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, and only half of them receive treatment.

• 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience a serious mental illness each year, and only two-thirds receive treatment.

• 1 in 6 U.S. youth experience a mental health condition each year, and only half of them receive treatment.

• 50 percent of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75 percent by age 24.

• The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years.

• 122 million people live in mental health professional shortage areas.

• In 2020, 1 in 5 young people reported that the pandemic had a significant negative impact on their mental health.

• In 2020, there was a 31 percent increase in mental health-related emergency department visits among adolescents.

• As of 2021, 1 in 10 young people under age 18 experienced a mental health condition following a COVID-19 diagnosis.