Boys mental health is the focus of a new statewide media challenge in California that invites young men to tell honest stories about struggle, strength, and support. Launched by the California Health and Human Services Agency in December 2025, the campaign recognizes that boys mental health often goes unspoken due to cultural expectations that men should “tough it out” instead of asking for help.
The boys mental health media challenge encourages teens and young adults to create short videos, art, and social content showing what real emotional courage looks like—checking in on friends, talking about anxiety, or reaching out to a trusted adult. Submissions may be featured in statewide messaging that portrays boys mental health in a more nuanced, compassionate light, highlighting that vulnerability and care are signs of strength, not weakness.
Officials say the effort grew from data showing that boys and young men, particularly those from marginalized communities, face high rates of suicide, substance use, and untreated mental health conditions, while being less likely than girls to access formal services. By placing boys mental health at the center of a creative project, the challenge hopes to reach youth who might ignore traditional PSAs but will listen to peers who look and sound like them.
Community groups, barbershops, sports programs, and schools are being invited to host local events around the boys mental health media challenge, turning it into a conversation starter rather than a one‑off contest. Parents and mentors are encouraged to watch entries with the young men in their lives and use them as prompts to ask simple, powerful questions like “How are you really doing?”—planting the seeds for ongoing dialogue about boys mental health.
Source: California Health & Human Services – Mental Health Media Challenge
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