World Mental Health Day seeks to raise awareness of mental health illnesses while educating the population and mobilizing efforts to support mental health.
Mental health, which includes a person’s emotional, psychological and social well-being, has become increasingly important in recent decades as an estimated 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression.
In 1992, the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) established World Mental Health Day in an effort to promote education and advocate for mental health sufferers. The Foundation aims to provide further awareness and assistance for those suffering from a wide range of mental disorders in the hopes of saving lives and increasing quality of life for these individuals.
World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on October 10.
Depression can lead to suicide. More than 800,000 people worldwide take their own lives every year.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the world for individuals 15 to 44.
The World Federation for Mental Health is focusing the 2018 WMHDAY campaign on Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World. #worldmentalhealthday