May is Mental Health Month

May is National Mental Health Month (the 74th Mental Health Month this year!), so let’s talk about what it means in our LFSF (we can change the qualificatif here) context. As a school, we aim to raise awareness, provide resources and de-stigmatize mental health.

What is mental health 

First and foremost, mental health IS health, as health is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO). Still according to the World Health Organisation:

• Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to their community;

• Mental health is an integral part and essential component of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health; 
• Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders; it is also far more complicated than simply feeling good most of the time; 
• Mental health is determined by a range of socioeconomic, biological and environmental factors.
• Strategies and interventions exist to promote, protect and restore mental health. It is something we can all work on to improve through daily habits and practices. 

The objective of Mental Health Awareness Month

In 1949, Mental Health America (MHA) designated May as Mental Health Month to raise awareness and “to spread the word that mental health is something everyone should care about.”  The 2023 Mental Health Matters Month theme is “Look around. Look within”. As so, we are invited to consider how the world around us affects our mental health, positively and sometimes in challenging ways. We can think about how the places we live, work, play, and gather in impact our mental health.

Of note, this week (May 7th to May 14th) is also National Children's Mental Health Acceptance Week, which aims, more specifically, to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and show that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development. 

What is happening at Ortega for Mental Health Month

Information and resources sharing

• a toolkit by Mental Health America (to learn more on mental health, how surroundings impact mental health, and take actions to improve your well-being)
• the JED foundation ‘You are not alone’ campaign resources; 
• stories around mental health shared by celebrities and influencers in the ‘You got this’ campaign by the Child Mind Institute; 
• the NAMI ‘#Morethanenough’ campaign;  
• the SAMHSA great resources;
• the California Department of Education Mental Health Resources Hub  and the California Health & Human Services Agency resources page. 

For the students, by the students

Thanks to one of our amazing students, Anais Taffin (11th grade), posters to raise mental health awareness will be displayed in the hallways. Anais worked hard on a project in her BFI/Connaissances du Monde class (with Mrs. Auge and Mrs. Maximov), and she led a poster-making activity with all the interested students last Friday. The result is beautiful and empowering. Pictures to come!  A huge thank you to all the students who participated. 

For LFSF parents, a time to chat

Finally, we invite you to join Anne Bargiacchi, our Wellness Coordinator, for a zoom Q&A on Wednesday May 31 at noon, on the topic of tweens and teen’s mental health. We hope to see you there! 

Attend the Zoom chat