Mental Health

By Kathleen T. McCoy, DNSc, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FNP-BC, FAANP May is a wonderful month, filled with the newness of spring! Yet during springtime and throughout

By Tearsanee Carlisle Davis, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP “Stressed” — over the past two years, this is the response I have received from patients, friends,

By April Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is a campaign intended to educate the public about the realities

By Irene W. Bean, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAANP July is Minority Mental Health Awareness month, and with the renewed focus on systemic inequalities, this topic

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year, it is more critical than ever to pay attention to your mental wellbeing. After more than a year of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects on mental health have been staggering.

This week is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. This national awareness week was first started in 2010 by scientists at the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) to counteract mistruths that teens learn about drugs and alcohol from the internet, social media, movies and other teens. 

Sometimes the terms “mental health” and “mental illness” are used interchangeably, but poor mental health and mental illness are not the same thing. If you are interested in learning more about mental illness and mental health, reach out to your NP. 

Mental illness is one of the most prevalent health problems in this country. Roughly one in five people will struggle with mental illness, but despite its widespread impact, less than half will receive any treatment or counseling. Even though mental illness is among the leading causes of disability and one of the most expensive ailments plaguing our health care system, there remains a great divide between recognizing mental illness and embracing it as a legitimate and potentially serious medical condition.