Aside from the reintroduction of pumpkin spice into everyday life and the airing of cheaply produced horror movies, October has a lot of important days and overarching themes to it, in particular health awareness takes precedence. October is national occupational therapy month, a particular branch of therapy “that helps to solve the problems that interfere with a person’s ability to do the things that are important to them”, one of the focuses of occupational therapy month is to get more dialogue going and explain the benefits of it as well as pressing for occupational therapy coverage in the workplace. Rett Syndrome Awareness month also takes place in October. Rett Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the ability to communicate through speaking and hand use, as well as other medical conditions.

Specific times dedicated to a theme or event in October include Mental Health Awareness Week which took place from October 1st to 7th. Focused on raising awareness for mental health issues and reducing the stigma around it, dialogue has been a priority in the previous years. World Mental Health Day took place on the 10th.

HPV Prevention Week was October 1st to the 7th, focusing on education around sex and safe practices, as well as the infection itself and how to recognize it and prevent it.

Respiratory Therapists Week is from the 21st to the 27th, focusing on “Advancing the Profession” this year, looking at how practitioners have impacted the health of the public.

World Sight Day was October 10th, advocating for the “right to sight”, dealing with prevention and increasing access to eyecare in order to lower chances of vision issues.

Some more days include: World Arthritis Day on October 12th Pharmacy Technician Day is October 16th , along with World Spine Day, National Psoriatic Arthritis Day on October 19th and International Stuttering Awareness Day which is October 22nd.