A Time for Remembering

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE

May is often considered the unofficial beginning of summer, with Memorial Day launching us into barbeques, picnics, and pool parties. Yet Memorial Day has a more somber meaning that sometimes gets lost in festivities.

Originally called Decoration Day, the holiday was first observed in 1868, 3 years after the Civil War ended, when the leader of Union veterans called for a nationwide day of remembrance in honor of the soldiers who died in the war. Some have said May 30 was chosen because flowers would be in full bloom to decorate graves. In 1971, Congress made Memorial Day an official federal holiday to be observed on the last Monday in May.

Interestingly, Memorial Day falls within Mental Health Month, and perhaps this is no coincidence. Mental Health America, the organization that initiated Mental Health Month, has been working with the military to provide mental health resources since 1917, during World War I. Both commemorations remind us of the importance of remembering.

Psychiatric Times® salutes our armed forces and remembers those who have fallen during service. We also remember those with psychiatric disorders who look to you, our readers, for support, answers, and help. That’s why you will find clinical pearls, reviews, and more cover to cover, as well as online at PsychiatricTimes.com. 

Mike Hennessy Jr

President and CEO, MJH Life Sciences®