In the wake of Covid-19, people around the world have borne witness to terrible trauma and tragedies wrought by hundreds of thousands of deaths. In addition, long spells of isolation wrought by lockdown and staying home initiative to curb the spread of the virus, have taken a heavy toll on mental health. People find themselves encumbered with debilitating anxiety, about the known and the unknown. In order to encourage millions of people who have experienced some sort of trauma to their mental health, or find that the recent events have only accelerated the existing condition, to seek help and start a dialogue and find the right tools, the first Mental Action Day will be celebrated on May 20th.

MTV Entertainment Group, in partnership with 193 leading brands, nonprofits and cultural leaders have announced the first-ever Mental Health Action Day Thursday, May 20 during Mental Health Awareness Month.

While many are comfortable talking about mental health, finding adequate tools still remains an issue. A series of nonprofits, brands and influential leaders are banding together to launch the first-ever Mental Health Action Day that raises awareness and encourage action.

“From Covid-19 to economic struggles and the continuing fight for racial justice, the other half of the twin pandemic is the rise of our mental health challenges,” said Erika Soto Lamb, Vice President of Social Impact Strategy at MTV Entertainment Group. “This is a critical moment to shift our culture from mental health awareness to mental health action, and MTV is proud to come together with diverse cross-sector leaders on this inaugural day to encourage and empower people to take action -- for themselves, for their loved ones or for the systemic changes needed to improve our social and emotional wellbeing.”

This moment will provide the tangible tools that will help us all take an action for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our community.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 20, 2021 06:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).