Breaking Myths and Bolstering Communities 

As we honor World Teen Mental Wellness Day on March 2 as well as Self-Harm Awareness Month throughout March, Vaya Health aims to break the silence, dispel myths, and promote understanding surrounding self-harm.

Self-harm is not just a phase or a trend. This month and all year round, Vaya works to educate the communities we serve about the nuances of this issue. 

World Teen Mental Wellness Day

World Teen Mental Wellness Day is March 2. To help teens struggling with mental health issues in our communities, Vaya works with local high schools on the Wellness Corners school initiative, an in-school strategy to positively influence students with mental health struggles. Aimed to help students self-regulate in times of stress, Wellness Corners creates and provides resiliency kits and calm down corners for struggling students. To date, the program has provided 400 resiliency kits and five calm down corners to a total of 850 students.

Common myths

Open discussions dispel the harmful notion that talking about self-harm encourages it; instead, fostering understanding and compassion is key to breaking the cycle of silence and promoting a healthier dialogue surrounding mental health. 

Common misconceptions surrounding self-harm often hinder the understanding of this complex issue. Contrary to the belief that it’s solely attention-seeking behavior, self-harm frequently serves as a private coping mechanism for individuals grappling with emotions. Dismissing it as a passing phase or associating it with specific demographics perpetuates stigma, as self-harm is a concern that transcends age, gender, and socioeconomic boundaries.

Another prevalent myth links self-harm directly to suicidal intent. While these two issues can coexist, self-harm is not always indicative of a desire to end one’s life. The motivations behind self-harm can vary widely, emphasizing the need for individualized support. 

Community involvement is a key resource in helping our neighbors. For more information on how to stay involved, visit vayahealth.com.