New Kids Mental Health Foundation PSA Stars Malin Akerman, Lance Bass and More

A new public service announcement from the Kids Mental Health Foundation features Malin Akerman, Lance Bass, and other celebrities in a campaign directed by Soleil Moon Frye that aims to raise awareness about the mental health struggles affecting millions of American children.

The PSA addresses a crisis that has been building for years. Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among children and adolescents have risen dramatically since 2020, and the mental health infrastructure designed to support young people has proven inadequate to meet the demand. Wait times for pediatric mental health appointments now stretch into months in many communities.

The campaign's approach is notable for its tone. Rather than presenting statistics and clinical language, the PSA uses personal stories and relatable scenarios to help parents and caregivers recognize the signs of mental health struggles in children. The goal is to reduce the stigma that prevents many families from seeking help and to provide concrete guidance on when and how to intervene.

Celebrity-driven mental health campaigns have shown mixed results in the past. While they generate attention, the challenge is converting that attention into sustained behavioral change — getting parents to have difficult conversations, schools to allocate more resources, and policymakers to fund mental health services at the level the crisis demands.

The Kids Mental Health Foundation has also partnered with several school districts to provide training for teachers and staff on recognizing and responding to mental health crises in students. These programs complement the public awareness campaign by building capacity at the institutional level where children spend most of their time.

What This Means For You: If you have children, the mental health statistics are not abstract — they describe the reality that your kids and their peers are navigating every day. The most important thing you can do is create an environment where your children feel safe talking about their feelings, and that starts with you being willing to listen without judgment. Celebrity PSAs raise awareness, but the real work happens at the kitchen table, in the classroom, and in the therapist's office.