From Suicide Prevention(sept) Month to Mental Health Awareness (Oct) Month: Why Our Work Can’t End

As Suicide Prevention Month ends in September and Mental Health Awareness Month begins in October, we are reminded that awareness cannot be seasonal. These aren’t separate causes they are two parts of the same urgent, ongoing conversation about how we care for one another, every single day.

Recently (Sept. 30th) the tragic death of South Africa’s Ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, made global headlines. A respected leader and public figure yet behind the title was a human being carrying unseen pain. His passing is heartbreaking and it raises a sobering truth: if someone so visible can struggle in silence, how many more people are suffering quietly unseen and unsupported?

The Hidden Struggles We Carry

We are losing far too many people to silence, to shame and to despair.

• Men are more likely to die by suicide, yet are often the least likely to reach out.

• Women, when they do seek help, may be dismissed or judged as “too emotional.”

• Young people carry heavy pressures from school, peers and social media.

• Older generations often face loneliness, illness or feeling forgotten.

Mental health struggles do not discriminate. Behind every smile, role or title can be shame, guilt, loneliness or overwhelming life challenges.

Beyond Awareness Months

• Suicide Prevention Month (Sept) calls us to speak openly about the reality of suicide.

• Mental Health Awareness Month (Oct) calls us to keep those conversations alive and expand them into everyday action.

Awareness cannot live only in September or October. It must become a culture one that treats vulnerability as courage, listening as a gift and compassion as a daily practice.

What We Can Do Together

1. Check in often: A simple, sincere “How are you, really?” can save a life.

2. Listen deeply: Don’t rush to fix; sometimes people just need to be heard.

3. Challenge stigma: Redefine strength as the willingness to share, not suppress.

4. Build communities of care: Make workplaces, families and groups safe spaces for honesty.

5. Act daily: Don’t wait for a campaign or headline to care make compassion a habit.

   
   

A Call to Carry Awareness Forward

The passing of Ambassador Mthethwa is a heartbreaking reminder that behind every strong façade is a person in need of connection. His story made headlines, but countless others will not. As we move from Suicide Prevention Month into Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s carry the torch forward. Let’s check in on one another not just in September or October, but every day.

🕯️ We need to turn awareness into action. Action into hope. Hope into life.