Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month is observed every May in the United States to raise awareness of mental health, reduce stigma and connect people with support. It was founded in 1949 by Mental Health America (MHA), the national nonprofit that still leads the campaign and publishes a new theme and outreach materials each year.

For employers, mental health is part of workplace safety. Stress, fatigue and untreated mental health conditions affect concentration, decision-making and attendance, and the way work is organized can either add to that strain or help relieve it.

When Is Mental Health Awareness Month in 2027?

Mental Health Awareness Month runs for the full month of May, from May 1 to May 31, 2027. The month does not change from year to year. MHA announces a new theme and toolkit each spring. The 2026 theme was More Good Days, Together, as described on MHA’s Mental Health Month page. The 2027 theme has not yet been announced.

Why It Matters at Work

OSHA treats workplace stress and mental health as part of a safe and healthy workplace. In its employer guidance on workplace stress, OSHA encourages employers to recognize that workers may bring heavy personal burdens to work, to identify job factors that make work harder and to give workers access to support without penalty.

Working conditions make a measurable difference. A CDC study of health workers found that reports of harassment at work more than doubled, from 6.4 percent in 2018 to 13.4 percent in 2022, and that 45.6 percent reported feeling burned out often or very often in 2022. The same CDC report found that health workers who trusted management or had help from supervisors were less likely to report burnout. Those findings come from one sector, but the lesson about trust and support applies to many workplaces.

Mental health also connects to physical safety. A worker who is exhausted, distracted or overwhelmed is more likely to miss a step, skip a check or react slowly to a hazard. Treating stress as a workplace risk, not only a personal matter, helps prevent both injuries and illness.

How to Take Part

• Use the MHA toolkit. MHA offers a planning guide for organizations and workplaces, printable handouts, social media graphics and free online mental health screening tools.
• Remind employees about support. Share how to reach your employee assistance program, health plan behavioral health benefits and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by call or text.
• Train supervisors. Help front-line leaders recognize signs of stress, start a supportive conversation and know where to refer someone. OSHA offers supervisor checklists you can use as a starting point.
• Look at the work itself. Review overtime, shift patterns, staffing levels and workloads, and ask workers which job factors add the most strain.
• Reduce stigma. Have leaders talk openly about mental health and make clear that asking for help will not count against anyone.
• Offer flexibility where you can. OSHA’s guidance points to flexible leave and work arrangements without penalty as a practical way to support workers going through a hard time. Make sure employees know which options are available and how to request them.
• Keep it going after May. Add a short mental health check-in to regular safety meetings so the topic does not disappear when the month ends.
• Plan ahead for September. Build on May with Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and Construction Suicide Prevention Week.

Toolbox Talk: Checking In With Each Other

1. Mental health is health. Everyone has stressful stretches. Talking about it is normal and nothing to be ashamed of.
2. Stress affects safety. Being tired, distracted or overloaded makes it easier to miss a hazard. If you are not focused, say so before starting a risky task.
3. Notice changes in coworkers. Withdrawal, irritability, missed shifts or a drop in work quality can be signs that someone is struggling.
4. Ask and listen. A simple “How are you really doing?” and the time to listen can make a difference. You do not need to have the answers.
5. Know where to go. Share the employee assistance program contact and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Discussion question: What parts of our work add the most stress, and what is one change that would make the biggest difference?

How SMS360 Helps

The Training Management module makes it easier to build mental health awareness into your safety program. You can schedule and track supervisor and employee training, deliver and record a monthly toolbox talk, and store policies and resource guides where workers can reach them from a mobile device. Dashboards show who has completed training across sites, and observations and concerns raised during the month can be recorded and followed up with assigned actions as part of a broader EHS program.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Mental Health Awareness Month 2027?

Mental Health Awareness Month takes place for the whole month of May, from May 1 to May 31, 2027. It is held in May every year. MHA releases its theme and toolkit before the month begins.

Who started Mental Health Awareness Month?

Mental Health America founded Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949. MHA is a national nonprofit focused on mental health and has led the observance every May since then.

What is the Mental Health Awareness Month theme?

MHA sets a new theme each year. The 2026 theme was More Good Days, Together, which encouraged people to think about what a good day looks like and how communities can support one another. The 2027 theme has not yet been announced, so check MHA’s website in early spring.