May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and as we enter our third year of observing it as an organization, we're taking a moment to be honest about where we are — as a country, as a movement, and as the American Flags Foundation.
## The State of Mental Health in America: 2025
Some things have improved. The conversation around mental health is more open than it was a decade ago. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has expanded access to crisis support. Telehealth has made therapy more accessible for millions of people who couldn't previously reach it. Public figures talking openly about their own mental health journeys have shifted cultural norms in meaningful ways.
And yet the numbers remain staggering. According to Mental Health America's 2025 State of Mental Health Report: - **1 in 5 adults** still experiences a mental health condition annually - Mental health workforce shortages mean that millions of people who seek help can't find it in a reasonable time - Mental health parity laws remain inconsistently enforced, leaving insurance coverage inadequate for millions - Youth mental health continues to worsen, with rates of anxiety and depression among teenagers at historic highs - Racial and socioeconomic disparities in access to care remain largely unchanged
Awareness has grown. The systems have not kept pace.
## What We're Committed To
At the American Flags Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Month isn't just a calendar event. It's a checkpoint — a moment to be honest about what we've done and what we still owe.
This year, we're committing to:
**Deeper community engagement in Texas.** Our home state has a large, complex, and underserved mental health landscape. We're expanding our outreach to communities across Texas, particularly in rural areas and communities of color where access to mental health resources is most limited.
**Stronger veteran programming.** The intersection of veteran identity and mental health stigma remains one of the most urgent areas of our work. We're investing in peer support initiatives and partnerships with organizations that specialize in veteran mental health.
**More honest storytelling.** Awareness campaigns work best when they feature real people telling real stories. We're committed to creating more space for the voices of people with lived experience — in our content, our events, and our advocacy.
**Education that goes beyond awareness.** Knowing that mental illness is common is not enough. People need to know what to do — how to recognize warning signs, how to have the conversation, how to access help. Our educational resources in 2025 will emphasize action, not just awareness.
## An Invitation
Mental Health Awareness Month belongs to all of us. The most meaningful way to observe it isn't to share a graphic online. It's to take one concrete action: make a therapy appointment you've been putting off, check in with a friend you've been worried about, learn the 988 number and share it with someone who might need it.
Small actions, multiplied across millions of people, change culture.
We're grateful for every person who has been part of this community. And we're committed to showing up for all of you — this month, and every month.
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*Crisis support is available 24/7. Call or text 988. Text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line.*
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**Related Reading:** - [Mental Health Awareness Month: What It Means and Why It Matters](/blog/2024-05-01-mental-health-awareness-month)