ME HP1241

Designates May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month in Maine to raise awareness of mental health conditions and services and reduce stigma surrounding mental illness

National suicide rate has increased more than 36% since 1999, with over 49,000 deaths by suicide in 2022 (approximately one death every 11 minutes)

Approximately 61,000 adults in Maine live with serious mental illness (bipolar disorder, severe depression, schizophrenia), and 14,000 children ages 12-17 have depression

Over 260,000 Maine residents live in communities without enough mental health professionals

Identifies suicide, opioid misuse and addiction, and children's mental health as key areas of concern in the state