The theme of psychological state or Mental Health Awareness Month this year is Tools 2 Thrive: “providing practical tools that everybody can use to enhance their psychological state and increase their resiliency no matter their personal situation.”

One of the tools that helps us all thrive is connection: to family, to friends, and to the broader community.

To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, we’ve rounded up a number of our favorite books handling Mental Health, and it’s no surprise that connection is that the theme that runs through all of them.

Anxious People is a Novel focusing on Mental Health Awareness.

Anxious People is a New York Times Bestseller, A People Book of the Week, Book of the Month Club selection, and Best of Fall in Good Housekeeping, PopSugar, The Washington Post, New York Post, Shondaland, CNN, and more!

Anxious People is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most anxious times. Mental Health Awareness is the key tools of this book.

Some of the Reviews about this book

Washington Post:
“Backman again captures the messy essence of being human…It’s clever and affecting, as likely to make you laugh out loud as it is to make you cry.”

USA Today:
“Backman’s latest novel hits the sweet spot between profoundly insightful and preposterously funny….I hugged this book tightly with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes.”

NPR:
“The perfect balance of heartwarming and heart-wrenching, and Fredrik Backman has a way of simply yet elegantly describing relationships. We can all be idiots, but we’re still all human beings worthy of connection and love.”

Matt Haig, bestselling author of The Midnight Library:
“A brilliant and comforting read.”

Real Simple:
“An endlessly entertaining mood booster.”

The Skimm:
“This book examines how a shared event can change the course of many lives at once. And if you like strongly drawn characters and a mix of humor and heartbreak, this one’s for you.”

Publishers Weekly:
“[A] witty, lighthearted romp…Backman charms.”

People:
“Wry, wise and often laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a wholly original story that delivers pure pleasure.”

BookPage:
“A deeply funny and warm examination of how individual experiences can bring a random group of people together. Backman reveals each character’s many imperfections with tremendous empathy, reminding us that people are always more than the sum of their flaws.”

Library Journal:
“[A] tight-knit, surprise-filled narrative… the brisk, absorbing action prompts meditation on marriage, parenting, responsibility, and global economic pressures. Comedy, drama, mystery, and social study, this novel is undefinable except for the sheer reading pleasure it delivers. Highly recommended.”

AJ Pearce, author of Dear Mrs. Bird:
“Funny, compassionate and wise…an absolute joy.”

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life is a #1 New York Times Bestseller book, Over 6 million copies sold.

Some of the Reviews about this book

New York Times
“”In life, we have a limited amount of f*cks to give. So you must choose your f*cks wisely.” Manson brings a much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor. This manifesto is a refreshing slap in the face for all of us so that we can start to lead more contented, grounded lives.”

Ryan Holiday: ^[A]Ryan Holiday is a New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy
“Resilience, happiness and freedom come from knowing what to care about–and most importantly, what not to care about. This is a masterful, philosophical and practical book that will give readers the wisdom to be able to do just that.”

Matt Kepnes: ^[B]Matt Kepnes is a New York Times bestselling author of Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter
“Mark’s ability to dig deep and offer amazing, yet counter-intuitive, insight into the challenges of life makes him one of my favorite writers, and this book is his best work yet.”

Steve Kamb: ^[C]Steve Kamb is a bestselling author of Level Up Your Life and founder of NerdFitness.com
“This book hits you like a much-needed slap in the face from your best friend: hilarious, vulgar, and immensely thought-provoking. Only read if you’re willing to set aside all excuses and take an active role in living a f***ing better life”

Derek Sivers: ^[D]Derek Sivers is the founder of CD Baby and author of Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur
“The opposite of every other book. Don’t try. Give up. Be wrong. Lower your standards. Stop believing in yourself. Follow the pain. Each point is profoundly true, useful, and more powerful than the usual positivity. Succinct but surprisingly deep, I read it in one night.”

Author, activist, founder of Together Rising, and host of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast Glennon Doyle is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Untamed, a Reese’s Book Club selection, which has sold over two million copies. She is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Love Warrior, an Oprah’s Book Club selection, and Carry On, Warrior.

An activist and “patron saint of female empowerment” (People), Glennon hosts the We Can Do Hard Things podcast. She is the founder and president of Together Rising, an all-women-led nonprofit organization that has revolutionized grassroots philanthropy—raising over $30 million for women, families, and children in crisis. Glennon lives in Florida with her wife and three children.

Some Editorial Reviews about this book

Publishers Weekly:
Filled with hopeful messages… encourag[ing] women to reject the status quo and follow their intuition… This testament to female empowerment and self-love, with an endearing coming-out story at the center, will delight readers.

Brené Brown:
“Some books shake you by the shoulder while others steal your heart. In Untamed, Glennon does both at the exact same time.

People (Book of the Week):
Doyle might just be the patron saint of female empowerment. . . . Here she inspires other women to listen to their intuition and break free of what cages them. . . . Her memoir has a message as clear as a ‘go’ signal: Find and honor your truest self.

Reese Witherspoon:
This memoir is so packed with incredible insight about what it means to be a woman today, what it means to be ‘good,’ and what women will do in order to be loved. I swear I highlighted something in EVERY chapter.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma is a pioneering researcher and one of the world’s foremost experts on traumatic stress offers a bold new paradigm for healing.

Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., is the founder and medical director of the Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts. He is also a professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and director of the National Complex Trauma Treatment Network.

When he is not teaching around the world, Dr. van der Kolk works and lives Boston.

Some Editorial Reviews about this book

Rachel Yehuda: ^[E]Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
In this inspirational work which seamlessly weaves keen clinical observation, neuroscience, historical analysis, the arts, and personal narrative, Dr. van der Kolk has created an authoritative guide to the effects of trauma, and pathways to recovery. The book is full of wisdom, humanity, compassion and scientific insight, gleaned from a lifetime of clinical service, research and scholarship in the field of traumatic stress. A must read for mental health and other health care professionals, trauma survivors, their loved ones, and those who seek clinical, social, or political solutions to the cycle of trauma and violence in our society.

Francine Shapiro: ^[F]Francine Shapiro, PhD, originator of EMDR therapy; senior research fellow, Emeritus Mental Research Institute; author of Getting Past Your Past
A fascinating exploration of a wide range of therapeutic treatments shows readers how to take charge of the healing process, gain a sense of safety, and find their way out of the morass of suffering.

Vincent J. Felitti, M.D.: ^[G]Vincent J. Felitti, M.D., chief of preventative medicine, emeritus, Kaiser Permanente San Diego; co-principal investigator, ACE study
This is an absolutely fascinating and clearly written book by one of the nation’s most experienced physicians in the field of emotional trauma. The Body Keeps the Score helps us understand how life experiences play out in the function and the malfunction of our bodies, years later.

Judith Herman: ^[H]Judith Herman, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; author of Trauma and Recovery
Dr. van der Kolk’s masterpiece combines the boundless curiosity of the scientist, the erudition of the scholar, and the passion of the truth teller.

Some Editorial Reviews for this book

Ben Greenfield: ^[I]Ben Greenfield, NYT bestselling author, voted America’s top personal trainer
Paul Saladino is, by far, one of the most brilliant new minds in the health and nutrition sector.

This guy is the real deal. He is well researched, practices what he preaches, and has a passion for digging for the ultimate truth. I can’t recommend him or his work highly enough.

Mark Sisson: ^[J]Mark Sisson, NYT bestselling author, founder of MarksDailyApple.com
Dr. Paul Saladino is driving an incredibly compelling carnivore diet movement, with a thoughtful and measured presentation that compels everyone to pay close attention.

With Paul’s broad experience in both traditional and functional medicine, he is able to embrace the big picture of healing and achieve breakthrough results.

Dr. Mercola: ^[K]Dr. Mercola, Multiple time NYT bestselling author, founder of Mercola.com
Paul is an extraordinary out-of-the-box thinker. He has deeply researched the science and provides some compelling arguments that challenge conventional nutritional wisdom regarding the need for eating plants to achieve optimal health.

Mental Health Awareness is so important.
Mental illnesses affect 19% of the adult population, 46% of teenagers and 13% of children each year.

People struggling with their mental health may be in your family, live next door, teach your children, work in the next cubicle or sit in the same church pew.

However, only half of those affected receive treatment, often because of the stigma attached to mental health. Untreated, mental illness can contribute to higher medical expenses, poorer performance at school and work, fewer employment opportunities and increased risk of suicide.