May is Mental Health Awareness Month, recognized since 1949 to reduce stigma, educate the public, and provide support for mental health conditions. The 2026 campaign focuses on community support and well-being, often using green ribbons to symbolize awareness. Get involved by sharing stories, wearing green, and utilizing resources from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Welcome to The Mental Minute where our goal is to make mental health an everyday conversation. Take a few minutes to enjoy today’s news, tips, key resources and product reviews.

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Jersey Shore's Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is back in the spotlight — and this time it's for a raw, vulnerable reason. Amid growing fan concerns after he appeared to doze off during a cast interview, Ronnie took to Instagram Stories to share a powerful message about high-functioning depression — describing it as waking up each day doing everything you're supposed to do while feeling nothing inside. Ronnie has openly said he deals with mental health issues on a daily basis, and uses his daughter Ariana as his fuel to keep making the right decisions.

Read More: Jersey Shore Star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Shares Multiple Posts About Mental Health After Concerning Interview (Entertainment Weekly)

Starting a mental health medication can feel equal parts hopeful and overwhelming — but going in prepared makes all the difference! Experts say the six most important questions to ask your doctor are: what the medication does and why it's right for you, how soon to expect results (antidepressants can take four to eight weeks!), how long you'll need to take it, what the side effects are and how to handle them, what medications or supplements to avoid, and what to do if you miss a dose.

Read More: 6 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before Starting a Mental-Health Drug (Time Magazine)

Established in 1992 by the U.S. Congress, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). SAMHSA is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and the cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses.

As part of the announced 2025 HHS reorganization, SAMHSA is planned to be integrated into the new Administration for a Healthy America

Read More: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) | www.samhsa.org | 877-SAMHSA-7 (726-4727)

America is wealthier than ever — so why are we so miserable? A top University of Chicago economist analyzed 50 years of happiness data and found that 2020 triggered the largest single happiness crash in the survey's history — and Americans are now at their least happy point ever recorded, with barely any recovery since.

Strikingly, the biggest declines weren't among the poor — they were among the most educated and highest earners, exactly the group whose expectations were highest and who felt most blindsided when the dream stopped delivering.

Read More: America Got Rich and Got Sad. A Top Economist Says 2020 Broke Something That Hasn’t Healed (Fortune)

MYTH: People who have perfect lives can’t have mental health conditions because they don’t have anything to be depressed about.

FACT: What someone’s life may look like on the surface level has nothing to do with what their mental state is like. Anybody can develop a mental health condition regardless of what their life seems like on the outside. Judging someone’s mental state based on their external life can be one of the primary reasons why there is so much prejudice and misunderstanding. 

The Mental Minute is your #1 source for the latest mental health news, tips, key resources and product reviews. Our goal is to make mental health an everyday conversation.

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Thanks, and Be Well.

— The Mental Minute