Empowering Americans to make the call to seek out professional mental health care and resources.

CHALLENGE

America continues to face a growing mental health crisis. While more Americans now recognize the value of treatment — a promising sign that stigma is fading — it still takes an average of 11 years for someone to seek treatment after knowing that you have an issue. Why? Because knowing where to start often feels overwhelming and unclear.

INSIGHT

By moving personal stories, pathways to treatment, and care providers to the forefront of the mental health conversation, we can turn awareness into action. When people feel supported, informed, and empowered, they’re far more likely to take that first step — confidently and with less hesitation.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

The campaign's PSA activities have delivered exceptional reach and engagement, with widespread pickup across major national and local outlets. Partners like CBS, CNN, Cooking Channel, Food Network, and Travel Channel remain active supporters, helping the campaign air over 215,000 times and generate more than 552 million audience impressions, contributing to a total of 834 million impressions to date.

Print PSA coverage has also been strong, with features in publications such as the Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Sports Illustrated, SI Kids, and Time Magazine International. Collectively, this exposure has resulted in over $25 million in donated media value.

IDEA

The American Psychiatric Association’s bilingual, omnichannel campaign meets people where they are, shifting from passive encouragement to actionable guidance. We’re providing diverse stories, accessible resources, and clear next steps — empowering individuals to stop searching and start seeking real care.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

At the heart of this campaign is MentalHealthCareWorks.org — a hub of tools, insights, and powerful stories. Whether you're looking to understand symptoms, explore treatment options, or hear from relatable personal stories, the path forward starts there. It starts with a call.

impact

Poll results confirm that the Mental Health Care Works campaign is making measurable progress. Adults in regions exposed to campaign messaging are more likely to say they would seek care and talk to a primary care provider about their mental health, reflecting a clear increase in help-seeking behavior compared to 2024.

Awareness and access are also improving, with more adults reporting they know about and can reach mental health services. In markets with the highest campaign investment, like Boston and Houston, nearly three in four respondents said they would likely seek help if struggling, and about one-quarter said they are “absolutely certain” they would, demonstrating the campaign’s success in motivating action and shifting attitudes.

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Homepage (English)

Personal Stories

By featuring even more diverse personas working through a variety of common mental health conditions, we’re demonstrating that individual mental health care journeys can begin in different ways. Beyond modeling what “making the call” can look like, we follow up by providing our audience with condition-specific resources and support on the website.

Victor’s Story

English

After losing his wife, Victor felt like he was losing himself, too.

With support from his doctor, he’s learning that strength can mean reaching out — and that healing is possible. These days, hope feels a little closer.

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