MTV Convenes More Than 1,300+ Individuals and Organizations for Inaugural Mental Health Action Day

MTV Entertainment Group recently joined forces with more than 1,300 organizations, brands, government agencies and cultural leaders to participate in the inaugural Mental Health Action Day, to drive the conversation from mental health awareness to mental health action.

Mental Health Action Day is an open-source movement, aimed at motivating people to take action to get mental health support — whether for themselves, their loved ones or for everyone by advocating for systemic changes for mental health access and equity.

“A year into the pandemic, as mental health struggles have skyrocketed, we brought together more than 1,300 partners to not only meet the moment but also drive a movement of action on a public health crisis that affects every one of us,” said Erika Soto-Lamb, Vice President of Social Impact Strategy at MTV Entertainment Group.

"From storytelling to creating content, together we can shatter stigma and normalize the act of getting help for those who need it.”

In honor of MTV spearheading Mental Health Action Day, the network shared a video from Black Ink Crew Chicago cast member Phor who spoke on the importance of mental health, especially from BIPOC communities.

As an increasingly popular topic, mental health concerns skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A disproportionate toll on the mental health and well-being of people of color, young people and LGBTQ+ communities.

Studies on mental health in relations to the pandemic, provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation have found:

• Four in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, compared to 1 in 10 before the pandemic.

• Fifty-six percent of young adults ages 18-24 reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depression during the pandemic.

• 48 percent of Black people reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic versus 42 percent of all adults and 40.9 percent of white people.

Coalition partners will host a series of activations ranging from public events featuring experts and activists to employee engagement activities, all with the goal of encouraging and empowering people to take initial action, whether for themselves or others, to support their mental health needs.

Learn more at MentalHealthIsHealth.us