This segment is sponsored by Mental Health America.

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) —As humans, our overall health is significantly impacted by our natural and built environments. The places we live, work, play, and congregate all have a powerful influence on our well-being, and it’s important to consider their effects on our mental health.

With these topics in mind, Mental Health America (MHA) is celebrating national Mental Health Month this May with the release of their 2023 Mental Health Toolkit entitled, “Look Around, Look Within.”

With this toolkit, MHA, the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness, is encouraging everyone to consider how the world around them affects their mental health – from neighborhoods to genetics.

The toolkit provides free, practical resources, including information about how an individual’s environment impacts their mental health, suggestions for making changes to improve and maintain mental well-being, and how to seek help for mental health challenges. It coincides with the release of new data from MHA that shows the number and percentage of people screening with moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety remain higher than rates prior to COVID-19, and are particularly severe for youth and BIPOC screeners.

If you constantly feel worried or sad about where you live, one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition is to take a mental health screening at mhascreening.org.