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The holiday season is often advertised as the “season of joy and peace,” but for those with mental health challenges, it can be the exact opposite. Feelings of anxiety and depression can eclipse a time of merriment, especially if a person has had a difficult year with significant life changes such as the loss of a loved one, a divorce, relocating to a new city, family dysfunction, or other challenges. Alongside personal struggles, the holiday season comes with its own pressures, such as buying gifts, sending out greeting cards (or e-greeting cards), or fulfilling social obligations of attending or hosting gatherings with family, friends, and colleagues. The cold air and gloomy winter days can also affect a person’s mood, giving rise to seasonal depression in some people.

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The month of November is internationally known as Movember and is dedicated to creating awareness about men’s health, symbolized by men growing mustaches for the month. The Movember movement officially reached the United States in 2007. However, the idea was conceived in a bar in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003 by two friends—Travis Garone and Luke Slattery. Noticing the absence of the mustache (moustache) from the fashion scene, Garone and Slattery challenged men to grow mustaches for a fee of $10 AUD. They soon decided to make this a campaign about men’s health, specifically prostate cancer.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the United States. First instituted in 1985 as a week-long awareness campaign, the initiative was pioneered by the American Cancer Society (ACS) in partnership with Imperial Chemical Industries Pharmaceuticals, now part of AstraZeneca. Pink became the international symbol of breast health in 1992. The color was popularized by Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of Estée Lauder, and Alexandra Penney, Editor-in-Chief of Self magazine, when they began distributing pink ribbons with the magazine’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month issue. The action was influenced by Lauder’s breast cancer diagnosis in 1989 and the lack of awareness of the subject.

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September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. First recognized in October 1990, the month of September was officially designated Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in 2019 by Congress. Childhood cancer, or pediatric cancer, occurs in children and teenagers between the ages of 0 to 19. It is the number one cause of death by disease in children in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that approximately 15,000 children and teens are diagnosed with cancer annually in the United States.

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Returning to school after the summer break can be stressful for some teens, especially when starting high school. While a little stress is normal, persistent feelings of anxiety and stress can interrupt daily life. If left unchecked, these feelings can harm teens’ physical and mental health.

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High in calories and low in nutrients, junk food is unsuitable for our health, yet the taste and convenience of junk food often make eliminating it from our diet difficult. Junk foods are highly processed; high in added sugars, salts, and trans fats; and often lack good nutrients. What do these terms mean?

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In 1996, the National Safety Council dedicated the month of June as National Safety Month to create awareness of occupational hazards and preventable injuries that can lead to death. This National Safety Month lets us look beyond the workplace. While most teens don’t face workplace accidents on a regular basis, they’re at increased risk for another kind of accident: fatal car crashes.

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Every year, the month of May is observed as Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States, an outreach initiative founded in 1949 by Mental Health America—previously known as the National Association for Mental Health. The initiative was designed to create public awareness, fight stigma around mental health issues, and provide support to those affected by mental illnesses.

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In the United States, the legal age for drinking alcohol is 21. Yet, underage drinking remains a significant public health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol is the most commonly abused substance among young people in America. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that nearly 60% of teens have had one alcoholic drink by age 18. Young people are also more likely to binge drink than adults. The CDC defines binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men and four or more drinks on one occasion for women. A survey by SAMHSA reported that approximately 5.1 million people under the age of 20 engaged in binge drinking in the month before the survey.

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March is designated as Women’s History Month, a time to recognize women who accomplished extraordinary feats through determination, intelligence, skill, talent, and sheer will. Although women have made gains over the years in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), they are still underrepresented compared to men. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2019, women represented 27 percent of STEM workers, and men, 73 percent. For this Women’s History Month, let’s look at some of the many American women who were pioneers of their time, continuing to inspire generations of women to come.

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