Empowering and guiding Americans to seek out the professional mental health care they deserve.
CHALLENGE
The nation is in the midst of a mental health crisis. The good news is that there’s been progress in dispelling stigma with 72% of Americans recognizing the benefits of treatment. Still, far too few are seeking out mental health care for themselves. That’s in large part because the first step to treatment can be a confusing one.
INSIGHT
When we move care providers and treatment to the front of the mental health and self-help conversation, we can guide people to own and take the first step on their mental health journey in a way that feels clear, safe, and empowering.
PSA Campaign
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 Foundation is evolving our message from simply affirming that “mental health care works” to a direct and actionable imperative — You Make the Call.
By creating a surround sound campaign for both English and Spanish speakers, we’re disrupting a culture of passive self-help and providing clear and diverse resources, support, and ultimately pathways to finding the mental health treatment that Americans so deserve.
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.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP
At the heart of this campaign is our newly refresh website, MentalHealthCareWorks.org, where visitors can find American Psychiatric Association authored and reviewed resources, support, mental health information and personal stories that dig into specific mental health conditions.
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.
Robert’s Story
English
Robert thought drinking was just part of his social life, until he started neglecting his family.
He made the call to a helpline to find a local alcohol addiction treatment center. With his doctor’s help, Robert’s finding better ways to cope.
Español
Sandra’s Story
Sandra is the one everyone counts on, but the stress of juggling family, work, and caring for her aging father has started to take a toll.
She made the call to her primary care physician, who connected her with a mental health professional. Now, Sandra can more confidently help her loved ones while protecting her own wellbeing, too.
Surround Sound Assets
159M+
Paid impressions since launch in April 2024
THE RESULTS
552M+
PSA impressions since 2023
89K
Website visits since launch in April 2024