Nearly half of all Americans—46%—will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition at some point in their lives. Yet more than half of those individuals never receive treatment. Imagine having a broken bone and never seeking or receiving care. This is difficult to imagine – and most would agree, unacceptable. However, many who experience mental illness do not have access to adequate mental healthcare.
At Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., (Otsuka), we hold a deep respect for the value of every mind and strongly believe that effective treatment of mental illnesses must be approached with the same priority and urgency as other diseases. This guiding principle means meeting people where they are and advancing parity in how mental health is understood and treated through products, programs, policies, and advocacy.
One of the biggest barriers? Stigma—especially in the workplace, where many are still afraid to speak up or seek help.
To help address this challenge, we collaborated with Mental Health America (MHA) to launch the Mental Health Awareness Bracelet, a small but powerful tool designed to open the door to conversations about how someone is feeling. With two reversible messages— “today feels hard” and “I count today as a good day”—the bracelet encourages everyday mental health check-ins and invites those around wearers to listen and engage.
From the beginning, the public response has been overwhelmingly positive. Within three hours of launch, all 25,000 free bracelets were claimed. Another 136,000 bulk requests followed.
Early results show real promise:
- 68% of wearers felt more comfortable discussing their mental health.
- Nearly 50%said the bracelet sparked meaningful conversations.
While the bracelet is a simple, tangible tool, its impact is deeply personal—and it’s helping reframe mental health as part of daily life, not just crisis management. Results show there is also a positive response among those who reported living with a mental disability (over 25% of wearers).
Expanding Impact Through Community Investment:
Recognizing that stigma is only one piece of the puzzle, Otsuka has expanded our collaboration with MHA to close mental health equity gaps through systemic investment. In 2024, Otsuka and MHA launched the Community Impact Zone (CIZ) grant program, focused on empowering local organizations to meet the mental health needs of their communities.
The CIZ sites, located in New Jersey, address the social drivers of mental health—such as housing, food security, income, and safety—by providing grants to community organizations with deep local roots:
- Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania is using their grant to advance the Arts Impactive Initiative, a program that strengthens youth mental health through artmaking in schools and educator training that supports social-emotional learning.
- The Mental Health Association of New Jersey (MHANJ)is launching a new initiative at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), offering mental health peer navigators, treatment services, support groups, and equity training for staff and volunteers.
Whether it’s through a small wearable message or a targeted community investment, Otsuka remains committed to transforming mental health from a silent struggle into an open, supported, and equitable conversation for all. Everyone should have access to early, equitable, and appropriate intervention and we work each day toward realizing our vision: health for every mind.
Join us in breaking the stigma and advancing equity in mental health.
Visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net to learn more about the bracelet, the Community Impact Zone program, and how you can support mental health in your community.