A U.S.-based Catholic association dedicated to mental health ministry has launched two new online resources to help Catholics better understand the signs of mental health struggles and how to accompany those suffering from it in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.
The International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers presented a trailer for the new online courses at the Vatican on Oct. 10 — World Mental Health Day — during its international meeting being held in Rome and at the Vatican, which was titled “A Healing Presence: The Church’s Call to Mental Health Ministry.”
The online courses include a one-hour course and a two-hour course. The one-hour course focuses on mental health literacy and aims to help people recognize the signs and symptoms of the most common forms of mental illness such as depression, addiction, trauma, and bipolar disorder.
The two-hour course is titled “Psychological First Aid” and equips individuals with the actual skills and knowledge to be able to help someone in distress.
The video states that the courses are not meant to train people on how to diagnose problems or on how to provide treatment; instead, they merge faith resources with skills to recognize, speak about, and support people showing signs of mental health struggles.
The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) has emphasized the importance of helping those suffering from a mental health issue. Mental Health Sunday is part of the USCCB’s National Catholic Mental Health Campaign, a year-round initiative of the U.S. bishops that encourages the faithful to respond and bring awareness to the growing mental health crisis in the country.
While the campaign is a year-round initiative, a special emphasis is placed on the issue every year from Oct. 10–18. During that week, the Novena for Mental Health is prayed and launches World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10). It also includes Mental Health Sunday — which takes place on the Sunday that falls within the time frame of the novena — and ends on the feast of St. Luke (Oct. 18), the patron saint of healthcare.
The novena includes themes related to mental health to reflect on and uses a pray-learn-act structure, which means that each day includes a prayer, a section where participants can learn about mental health issues and about those suffering, and a call to action where participants are encouraged to get involved or do more to spread awareness.
The USCCB encourages parishes and dioceses to launch mental health support resources or to provide materials in the narthex after Masses, take part in the novena as a parish community, invite parishioners to bring their petitions about mental health issues to pray as a community, include mental health issues during the Prayer of the Faithful at all Masses, or offer a blessing for those who work in mental health ministries in preparation for Mental Health Sunday, as well as to continue these initiatives throughout the year.
Pope Leo XIV also called upon the faithful to join in prayer during the month of October for mental health ministry.
“Melancholy, bad character, confusion of senses — today, we understand that behind these old labels lies a deep, silent suffering not only of those affected by mental disorders but also of their loved ones and their communities,” Pope Leo said in a video released Oct. 1 on X.
He added: “We live in a world full of tensions, and even as solutions grow so does the number of people in crisis. This October, let us pray for the mental health ministry — an urgent and ever-more-needed service in our Church and in the world.”
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people — about 1 in 7 individuals — around the world are living with a mental health disorder.