Mental Health Awareness Month resources for you, your gym and your employees.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, with the goal to raise awareness about the importance of mental health. Nearly one in five Americans live with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Gyms play an important role in the mental health of their communities. According to the Move Your Mental Health Report by the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, “Physical health is clearly intertwined with mental health in a bidirectional fashion. Scientific evidence shows that changes in thinking patterns and behaviors affect neurological, endocrine and immune systems. Conversely, disruption in these biological systems negatively impacts mental health. In addition to medication, holistic approaches such as exercise and physical activity, nutrition, and mind-body practices such as yoga can improve mental health.”
With this in mind and in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the following is a roundup of resources clubs can use to learn more about mental health and mental illness.
Move Your Mental Health Report
The Move Your Mental Health Report is based on a review of all published research between 1990 and 2020 reporting on how over 20 different forms of physical activity impact mental health outcomes. Read the full report here.
Q&A with John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation Founder
In this episode of the Club Solutions Magazine podcast, learn what led Victor Brick to co-found the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, the role gyms play in addressing mental health, and more. Listen here.
Employee Mental Health
According to Harvard Business Review, “91% of employees say burnout from workplace stress negatively impacts their quality of work. 42% of employees have left a job due to burnout. And 27 workdays per employee are lost each year because of sick days and low productivity caused by depression.” Check out Harvard Business Reviews’ articles addressing employee mental health, including leading an exhausted workforce and beating burnout. Read it.
Book Recommendations
Looking for books on mental health-specific topics? Check out Healthline’s list of book recommendations for topics ranging from processing trauma to managing anxiety. View the list.
Podcast Recommendations
Is audio more your forte? Very Well Mind has a great list of podcasts that cover mental health. Personally, I recommend The Hilarious World of Depression. View the list.
What Other Clubs are Doing
Clubs across the U.S. are doing a number of things to address mental health in their communities, including The Atlantic Club, which has partnered with Hackensack Meridian Health to deliver a free mental health workshop series to the community that is open to the public. Learn more.
Youth Mental Health
Arguably no group is experiencing a mental health crisis more than American youth. According to the New York Times, “In 2019, 13 percent of adolescents reported having a major depressive episode, a 60 percent increase from 2007. Emergency room visits by children and adolescents in that period also rose sharply for anxiety, mood disorders and self-harm. And for people ages 10 to 24, suicide rates, stable from 2000 to 2007, leaped nearly 60 percent by 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Read the full article here, and think about ways your gym can serve youth in your communities through programs that promote socialization — with loneliness being a key factor contributing to the crisis.
Where to Get Help
If you are personally struggling to get help, MentalHealth.gov shares places to turn to, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Read it.
Do you have Mental Health Awareness Month resources you’d like to share? Send them to rachel@peakemedia.com.
Stay ahead in the fitness industry with exclusive updates!
Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
