Muscle building and eating better are getting company in 2026, as more Americans say they plan to focus on their mental health in the year ahead
As Americans head into another resolution season (and gyms likely become crowded spaces), mental health is moving closer to the top of the priority list.
More than one in three U.S. adults (38%) say they plan to make a mental health–related New Year’s resolution for 2026, a 5% increase from last year according to new data from the American Psychiatric Association.
The findings are drawn from the APA’s Healthy Minds Poll, a survey of 2,208 adults conducted by Morning Consult in early December.
“It is encouraging to see more individuals planning to prioritize their mental health in 2026, particularly younger adults,” APA president Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, M.D., said.
Still, physical fitness tops the list (44%), followed by financial goals (42%), but the share of respondents prioritizing mental health (38%) has clearly grown.
When reflecting on 2025, more than half of Americans (63%) rated their mental health as excellent or good, while 28% rated it as fair and 8% as poor.
Anxiety also remains widespread, according to the APA. Americans report feeling anxious about personal finances (59%), uncertainty about the year ahead (53%) and current events (49%). Concerns about physical and mental health follow close behind.
The APA’s findings come as Gen Z faces mounting mental health challenges, even as young people increasingly take action to protect their well-being.
“A new year can bring change, possibility and uncertainty,” APA CEO and medical director Marketa M. Wills, M.D., M.B.A., said. “Feelings of anxiousness underscore the importance of paying attention to how we’re doing and taking practical steps, large or small, to support our mental health.”
Rivera added that the mix of strategies gaining traction points to a more holistic view of mental health.
“The strategies people are embracing—such as regular physical activity, mindfulness practices, adequate sleep, time in nature and engaging in therapy—reflect a growing recognition that mental health is deeply connected to daily habits,” Rivera said. “Even small, intentional changes can have a meaningful and lasting impact on overall well-being.”
The surge in mental health prioritization is also reshaping where capital and innovation are flowing. The global mental health technology market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of more than 12% through 2030, driven by demand for AI-powered care, teletherapy and wearable-integrated tools, according to a recent report by Research and Markets.
One new app is tackling both mental health and fitness head-on: Brain-Body Therapy, which combines counseling techniques with physical exercise.
