Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day
Nurturing young minds, ensuring they flourish and find inner peace, is a solemn duty, for the strength of our future lies in their well-being.
Position your organization as a mental health advocate by hosting educational events, sharing resources, and supporting youth mental wellness initiatives during this awareness day.
- 1 in 5 children struggle with mental health—share your organization's support resources
- Host a free family mental health seminar or webinar to drive community engagement
- Spotlight youth mental health success stories and caregiver contributions in your network
- Partner with schools and nonprofits to normalize mental health conversations among teens
The origins of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day can be traced back to 2005 when it was founded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the United States. The purpose of establishing and observing this day is to raise awareness and provide opportunities for education about the risk of mental health issues or illnesses in children and youth.
Events on this day may take place independently, or activities and events may be developed in collaboration with Children’s Mental Health Acceptance week, which may be celebrated from May 7-13.
Each year, the SAMHSA organizes a campaign to promote Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, which includes themes that go along with the topic and need. Some of the themes that have been featured in the past include: “Accept. Advocate. Act.” and “Suicide Prevention: Strategies that Work.”
Get Involved with Local Activities
Each community, city and state may offer different opportunities and activities for getting involved with Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. For instance, the organization, Families Together in New York State, organizes opportunities to nominate someone “great in our state” to recognize the contributions of youth workers, caregivers, community support organizations and more. Other local activities might include the opportunity to attend educational events, seminars, festivals and more in promotion and awareness of the important topic of children’s mental health.
Host a Children’s Mental Health Event
Don’t have any local activities that are taking place in honor of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day? Consider starting one! Grab a few friends with some organizational skills and a passion to help kids in need, and then host an event for families that offers lectures, awareness opportunities, seminars, access to resources and much more. Consider Children’s Mental Health StatisticsThose who aren’t clear on the importance of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day might want to consider some statistics and information that reveals the wide gap between the needs children have and the services they are provided. Check out some of these facts about children’s mental health:Nearly 20% of children (ages 3-17) struggle with a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder.Suicidal behavior among high school students increased by more than 40% in the decade before 2019.Up to 80% of children in foster care have significant mental health issues.Mental health related emergency visits for children increased up to 30% in recent years, particularly during the pandemic.