Mental Health Awareness Week is a week-long campaign that takes place every year in May. This year it takes place 11-17 May 2026. It highlights the importance of good mental health, challenges stigma and promotes practical actions people can take to support their own wellbeing. It’s one of the most high-profile public health campaigns in the UK, reaching millions of people through media, workplaces, schools, and community events.

The Mental Health Foundation has been organising Mental Health Awareness Week for the last twenty-five years. We are the only UK charity solely focused on preventing poor mental health and building and protecting good mental health. We research, develop, and campaign for new and more effective ways to support and protect people’s good mental health.

Around one in five adults in the UK have a common mental health condition such as anxiety and depression. And this proportion is higher among young people aged 16-24. Poor mental health is one of the biggest drivers of workplace absence with millions of workdays missed due to poor mental health. With poor mental health affecting so many of us, even those who aren’t directly affected themselves are likely to know, love, work alongside or care for someone who does.

There are lots of different ways to get involved. 

• You can download our resources and try our tips to boost your mental wellbeing. 
• Join our community on social media and tell us what good mental health means for you. 
• Help us turn the country green on Wear it Green Day.
• Become a workplace supporter or partner with us. 
• Sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date. 

Wear it Green Day is a fun way to help raise awareness about mental health and help raise funds to support our vital work. You can organise a Wear it Green Day in your school, workplace or community and help to raise vital funds and awareness for mental health. 

The Events team are always on hand to answer your questions about Wear it Green Day and provide support. Contact events@mentalhealth.org.uk or call 020 7803 1123 for more information.

Yes! You can promote it at your school or workplace. Our Mental Health Awareness Week logos and social media assets will be available for download on this page shortly. You can find a range of resources if you're taking part in the Wear it Green Day event on the Thursday 14 May. If you'd like to join us in championing mental health in the workplace you can become a workplace supporter.

We chose action as this year’s theme because, although awareness is vital, real change comes when we take action too. Together, we’ve come a long way on mental health, but we can’t risk going backwards. There’s still much we can do to prevent people becoming unwell in the first place. Taking even small actions can give us feelings of hope and make us feel less powerless. Learn more about why we chose action as the theme for this year.

Previous themes for Mental Health Awareness Week have included; community, movement, anxiety, loneliness, nature, kindness and body image.