About Mental Health Awareness Week

We are the home of Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental Health Awareness Week happens every year, and it's the biggest opportunity for the whole of the UK to come together to focus on getting good mental health. The week aims to tackle stigma and help people understand and prioritise their and others' mental health.

We started Mental Health Awareness Week in 2001, and as a vital part of our work as a charity, we continue to set the agenda - theme and dates, as well as coordinate activities for the week. In recent years, it has evolved to focus on preventing mental health problems and has become one of the most high-profile public campaigns in the UK.

Each May, millions of people from every part of society take part across the whole of the UK. They include people in schools and further education; private, public and charity sectors; families and individuals. The UK and national governments, celebrities and many others continue to actively support the week.

Mental Health Awareness Week logo

What can Mental Health Awareness Week achieve?

Mental Health Awareness Week is vital in increasing public understanding of mental health and how mental health problems can be prevented.

After years of being ignored, hidden away, and not being spoken about, Mental Health Awareness Week makes sure that mental health remains at the centre of the public conversation. It has contributed to government policy changes and provides a significant red-letter day when mental health charities throughout the UK can fundraise to support their work.

Above all, it keeps up the pressure for change so that we collectively prioritise the UK’s mental health, prevent mental health problems and take action to make sure we live in a society that values and promotes good mental health for all.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2024

Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 takes place from 13 to 19 May. The theme this year is "Moving more for mental health".

Find out more
Mental Health Awareness Week logo on a coral background

Previous Mental Health Awareness Week themes

2023 - Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem. It was the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week in 2023.
MHAW posters - "anxiety is a common feeling"

2022 - Loneliness

Loneliness affects more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge effect on our physical and mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic only served to make things worse. In 2022, we looked at the connection between loneliness and mental health.
Graphic of a person holding a protest sign that reads 'Let's tackle loneliness'

2021 - Nature

Being in nature is good for your mental health. It reduces stress and lifts your mood. In 2021, we looked at the link between nature and mental health - why it matters, how we can all get more of nature and how people are experiencing the benefits.
Colourful graphic with the text 'nature'
MHAW 2020 Kindness - portrait

2020 - kindness

In 2020, we found that 63% of UK adults agree that when other people are kind it has a positive impact on their mental health, and the same proportion agree that being kind to others has a positive impact on their mental health.
Find out more about kindness and mental health
MHAW 2019 Body image - portrait

2019 - body image

Our research found that 30% of all adults have felt so stressed by body image and appearance that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. That’s almost 1 in every 3 people.
Find out more about body image and mental health