Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025

This bill, titled the "Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025," seeks to address significant behavioral health disparities and reduce stigma within the diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) population. It acknowledges that AANHPI individuals have low rates of mental health service utilization, and suicide is the leading cause of death for AANHPI youth aged 10 to 24. These challenges are attributed to systemic barriers, including stigma, limited culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and insufficient research. The legislation mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a national outreach and education strategy . This strategy will promote behavioral health and reduce stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders, ensuring it is culturally and linguistically appropriate for various AANHPI subgroups. The bill also requires a systematic review of AANHPI youth behavioral health , assessing prevalence, risk factors, and treatment access, with data disaggregated by various demographic factors. Furthermore, the bill calls for a systematic review of strategies to address the AANHPI behavioral health workforce shortage . This review will assess the current AANHPI behavioral health workforce, identify barriers to enrollment in professional education programs, and recommend actions to increase the number of culturally competent providers. Both systematic reviews will culminate in reports to Congress, providing findings and recommendations for legislative and administrative actions to improve behavioral health outcomes and workforce development for the AANHPI community.