Mental Health Awareness Month 2024

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to learn more about and recognize the importance of taking care of our mental health and well-being. With so much focus on physical health, it’s easy to forget that our minds require love and attention, too. This month also serves as an important reminder for everyone to check in with friends and family who may need additional support. 

Booklists

PPLD Resources

  • Tough Topics guide for teens: Mental Health and Suicide
    The resources in the Tough Topics guide are organized into a page for youth seeking support, as well as parents and caregivers.
  • Tough Topics Bookmark
    A printed resource for teens available at Library locations. These bookmarks have book call numbers that can help anyone find books on the shelves dealing with mental health-related topics. Phone numbers for local resources are also listed. 
  • Community Resources at PPLD
    We have all found ourselves in a difficult situation and we aren’t always sure where to turn. Pikes Peak Library District offers community resources information across the District. Our Community Resources Specialists are here to help you navigate and connect with services by providing referrals and information to get the help you need for your specific situation. Please note that these are not mental health services.
  • Helping Hands El Paso County Community Resources 
    Discover mental and behavioral health resources available in El Paso County.
  • Psychology & Behavioral Sciences database 
    This database contains full text information from more than 560 journals. It covers topics on emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry and psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods. (Must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside of a Library location.)

Websites

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
    The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
  • Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention
    The mission of Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership is to unite the community in addressing suicide in the Pikes Peak region through education, intervention, and postvention.
  • Colorado Crisis Services
    Colorado Crisis Services provides free, confidential, and immediate support from trained professionals and peer specialists, available 24/7/364 by calling 844-493-8255 or texting TALK to 38255.
  • May is Mental Health Awareness Month (American Hospital Association)
    As Mental Health Awareness Month, May is a time to raise awareness of and reduce the stigma surrounding behavioral health issues, as well as highlighting the ways that mental illness and addiction can affect all of us – patients, providers, families, and our society at large. 
  • National Alliance on Mental Health 
    The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
  • Mental Health America 
    Mental Health America is the nation’s leading national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. Visit their Taking Good Care of Yourself page for tools to aid you in your mental health journey.
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
    The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation.
  • National Institute of Mental Health
    The National Institute of Mental Health is dedicated to transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. Visit their Caring for your Mental Health page for helpful tips and tools for caring for your mental health.