There are many nonfiction books that can be recommended for Mental Health Awareness Week, a week-long event that is held every year in May. The goal of Mental Health Awareness Week is to raise awareness about mental health and to encourage people to seek help if they are struggling. It’s also a time to celebrate the progress that has been made in mental health care and to advocate for better mental health services. The event is organised by the charity Mental Health Foundation, who have set this year’s theme on anxiety.

Recommended books for Mental Health Awareness Week:

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk. Trauma can have a profound impact on the brain and body, leading to a range of symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and dissociation. New therapies can help people heal from trauma, by helping them to process their experiences and to develop new coping mechanisms.
• An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison. Redfield Jamison, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychiatry, shares her personal experience with bipolar disorder, a mental illness characterised by extreme mood swings. Her memoir provides a rare and intimate glimpse into the mind of someone with bipolar disorder. It also offers hope to others who are struggling with the illness.
• The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon. Solomon’s National Book Award-winning book explores the nature of depression, from its biological and psychological causes to its cultural and historical manifestations. It is a powerful and moving testament to the human capacity for resilience and hope.
• Strangeland by Tracey Emin. Emin, a renowned British artist, shares her personal experience with panic and depression. These two mental illnesses that have sadly plagued her for decades. Her memoir is a raw account of with mental illness, offering hope to others who are struggling with similar challenges.
• Uncertainty Turning Fear and Doubt Into the Fuel for Brilliance by Jonathan Fields. Anxiety is a powerful emotion that can be debilitating, but it can also be a powerful force for good. In this book, Fields argues that anxiety can be used to fuel creativity, productivity, and personal growth.

Overall, these books offer a variety of perspectives on mental health, from personal stories to scientific research. They can help people to understand mental health conditions, to find support, and to take steps to improve their mental health.

In addition to reading books, there are many other ways to get involved in Mental Health Awareness Week. You can:

What to do for to help:

• Talk to your friends and family about mental health.
• Share information about mental health on social media.
• Volunteer your time to a mental health organisation.
• Donate to a mental health charity.
• Attend a mental health event.

Even small actions can make a difference in raising awareness about mental health. Not to mention, by getting involved in Mental Health Awareness Week, you can help to create a more understanding and supportive society for everyone.

Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:

• Mental Health Foundation
• Mind
• Rethink Mental Illness
• YoungMinds

If you found this useful, then check out books for Time to Talk Day to get conversation started.