More Americans Making New Year’s Mental Health Resolutions Leading Into 2025
Washington, D.C.—Leading into 2025, 33% of Americans are making a mental health new year’s resolution, which is a 5% increase from last year and is the highest result the American Psychiatric Association has seen since it began polling on the question in 2021. Younger people in general were more likely to report making a mental health resolution, with 48% of 18-34-year-olds saying so, versus 13% of those 65 or older. Four out of five individuals (81%) reported making any kind of new year’s resolution, with the rest of the categories polled largely remaining flat:
| Category | Percent of people making this resolution |
Change since last year |
|---|---|---|
| Physical fitness | 39% | no change |
| Financial | 38% | +4% |
| Social/relationships | 25% | +3% |
| Diet | 25% | +1% |
| Spiritual | 23% | +1% |
| Traveling | 20% | -1% |
| Hobbies/Skill-based | 19% | +1% |
| Organization/Decluttering | 15% | no change |
| Professional/Career ambitions | 14% | +1% |
| Giving/Volunteering | 11% | -1% |
Among those making resolutions focused on mental health this year:
| Percent of people planning | Mental health Resolution |
|---|---|
| 63% | Exercise more |
| 44% | Meditation |
| 46%* | Spend more time in nature |
| 37% | Focus on spirituality |
| 31% | See a therapist |
| 30% | Take a social media break |
| 29% | Journaling |
| 21% | See a psychiatrist |
| 20% | Use a mental health app |
*Representative of those who selected “Spend more time in nature or outdoors”, or “forest bathing,” see more.
“It’s good to see many of us planning to focus on our mental health in 2025,” said APA President Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., Dr.Med.Sc. “It’s particularly promising that many are understanding that lifestyle factors, like physical activity, nutrition, and meditation, can have a real impact and are important to your mental health.”
2025 Mood Check
Two-thirds of Americans (67%) graded their mental health in 2024 as excellent or good, while 25% said it was fair, and 7% said their mental health was poor. The older people were, the more likely they were to report good or excellent mental health: 84% of people over 65 said so, contrasted with 60% of those ages 18-34.
Among the issues Americans were feeling some anxiety about heading into 2025 were:
| Issue | Percent very or somewhat anxious |
|---|---|
| Personal finances | 58% |
| Uncertainty of the next year | 52% |
| Physical health | 45% |
| Mental health | 40% |
| Relationships with friends and family | 32% |
| Keeping New Year's resolutions | 29% |
| Job security | 29% |
| Romantic relationships | 26% |
| Traveling | 22% |
“A new year brings with it new opportunities but also renewed concerns about the very important issues that impact our lives,” said APA CEO & Medical Director Marketa M. Wills, M.D., M.B.A. “Any time of the year, mental health matters. Staying mindful of how we’re doing while taking active steps to care for ourselves is a terrific resolution.”
These results were drawn from the APA Healthy Minds Monthly Poll,which was fielded by Morning Consult Dec. 7-8, 2024, among 2,220 adults. APA’s Healthy Minds Monthly tracks timely mental health issues throughout the year. See past Healthy Minds Monthly polls. For a copy of the results, contact [email protected].
APA has also recently polled on anxiety around current events; see more.
American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 38,900 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.