May is Mental Health Awareness Month: What Can You Do To Support Young People?
By Moira McLaughlin, FUTURES
May 23, 2025
What’s going on with youth and their mental health? May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Let’s talk about the problem that the U.S. Surgeon General in 2021 called “the defining public health crisis of our time,” and what you can do about it.
About 1 in 5 youth experience anxiety or depression, and very few get the support they need. Causes of mental health challenges range from excessive social media use to witnessing or experiencing trauma to feelings of isolation.
- 3-10 million kids witness domestic violence every year
- About 3 million kids are exposed to gun violence every year
- One study showed that 65% of young men aged 18 to 23 feel that “no one really knows [them] well” and nearly half of men (48%) respond that their online lives are more engaging and rewarding
But there is good news: If there’s a caring adult in a young person’s life, they are less likely to experience mental health challenges. That means with the right tools, you can help. FUTURES provides resources that you – parents, educators, advocates and mentors – need to address the mental health crisis.
- Our “Everyday Magic: 7 Ways Parents & Caregivers Can Help Children Affected by Family Violence” series provides practical advice for parents and caregivers at all stages of their children’s lives
- This “Connected Parents, Connected Kids” Safety Card helps families discuss Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), relationships and resilience
- This hand-out, developed by teens, helps young people recognize how relationships and histories of trauma may impact a their health and wellbeing, and how to get help
- Learn how you can help children who have witnessed gun violence
- Take this free, online, 45-minute course with our Team: Changing Minds project and learn to identify, understand, and respond to youth mental health challenges by becoming a mental health responder
There are also things you can do right now to connect with the young people in your life.
- Listen: Let young people know they are important and they matter
- Be inspiring: Celebrate their accomplishments
- Comfort: Create a sense of safety and trust
- Collaborate: Show them that their thoughts and opinions matter
- Celebrate: Let young people know they are valued and appreciated just for being them
If you or someone you know needs help, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by just dialing 988.
There’s more that you can do than you might think. Our resources will help you discover how.
