© 2026 ABC News

While some of these who have taken their lives may be celebrities like Anthony Bourdain, Chris Cornell and many others, there are thousands, even millions of others who don't make media headlines, the article said, and this doesn't make them any less important.

\"One in four of us will have to deal with a mental health condition at some point in our lives\" Gaga and Ghebreyesus said, adding that suicide is \"the second leading cause of death globally among 15-29 year olds.\"

Despite the millions of people who are affected by mental health issues, many of those suffering don't speak up because of the stigma that still exists.

View this post on Instagram

It’s #WorldMentalHealthDay. Adolescence & the early yrs of adulthood are a time of many changes (eg: changing schools, starting university or a new job) For many, these are exciting times This can also be times of stress. In some cases, if not recognized & managed, these feelings can lead to mental illness. #LetsTalk

A post shared by World Health Organization (@who) on Oct 10, 2018 at 7:24am PDT

\"Instead of treating those facing mental health conditions with the compassion we would offer to someone with a physical injury or illness, we ostracize, blame and condemn,\" the essay continued, adding that funding to help mental illness around the world is terribly low.

\"The time has come for us all, collectively, to tackle the causes and symptoms of mental illness, and provide care for those who suffer from it,\" Lady Gaga and Ghebreyesus wrote. \"We can all be a part of a new movement –- including people who have faced mental illness themselves –- to call on governments and industry to put mental health at the top of their agendas.\"

It's #WorldMentalHealthDay.

DYK: Half of all #mentalhealth conditions start by 1??4?? years of age, but most cases are undetected and untreated.
WE ALL have a role to play in supporting adolescents ???????????????? with their mental health https://t.co/05fUdIGAop #LetsTalk pic.twitter.com/C7PBI2txCt

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 9, 2018

After citing some grassroots programs in nations like Zimbabwe and the U.K. that are helping to erase some of the mental health stigma, the duo add that the World Health Organization has been working on a \"global action plan\" for the past five years.

\"Earlier this year, the WHO published the Global Mental Health Atlas, which provides information from 177 countries on progress towards achieving the plan’s targets,\" Lady Gaga and Ghebreyesus wrote. \"The key takeaway is that although there has been some progress, we need significant investments to expand services.\"

Another report will be published in The Lancet that will be the \"most comprehensive collection of research ever produced on how to promote and protect mental health and treat mental illness\" and their hope is that government action and public support for friends, family and neighbors suffering with mental illness will \"change the world.\"

Anyone who has had thoughts of suicide or self-harm or know someone who is in crisis, or anyone who just need to talk to someone, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/lady-gaga-writes-powerful-essay-world-mental-health/story?id=58407377","legacySlug":"/culture/story/lady-gaga-writes-powerful-essay-world-mental-health-58407377","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"16:38","publishDate":"10-10-2018","updatedTime":"17:00","updatedDate":"10-10-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"Lady Gaga arrives for \"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,\" Oct. 4, 2018, in New York City.","credit":"GC Images/Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/lady-gaga-gty-jef-181010_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"10/10/2018 16:38:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":58407377,"headline":"Lady Gaga pens powerful essay on mental health","mediaAssetTitle":"rothman_gaga_mentalhealth_181010","description":"The article details the \"emergency\" happening with mental health worldwide.","duration":"5:27","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/09/180924_gmaday_taraji_health_133_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["133144263","132956835","132488083"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"May 20, 2026","headline":"Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","section":"News","slug":"/video/133144263","id":"133144263","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"May 14, 2026","headline":"Trump meets Xi Jinping in high-stakes Beijing summit","section":"News","slug":"/video/132956835","id":"132956835","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump meets Xi Jinping in high-stakes Beijing summit","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump meets Xi Jinping in high-stakes Beijing summit","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Lady Gaga pens powerful essay on mental health","description":"The article details the \"emergency\" happening with mental health worldwide.","duration":"5:27","uploadDate":"10-10-2018","publication":"10-10-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/09/180924_gmaday_taraji_health_133_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/09/180924_gmaday_taraji_health_133_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/lady-gaga-writes-powerful-essay-world-mental-health-58407377"}},"playlist":[{"id":"133390157","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133415361","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133414032","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133380485","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133358298","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133350119","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307515","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307527","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133282665","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133220149","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133179167","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133144373","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133144059","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133143081","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133075455","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133063114","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133063086","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133015093","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132998564","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132998072","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:culture:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"culture","title":"Lady Gaga pens powerful essay on mental health","pubTime":"12:38","pubDate":"10-10-2018","modTime":"13:00","modDate":"10-10-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":58407377,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Lady Gaga pens powerful essay on mental health","mediaAssetTitle":"rothman_gaga_mentalhealth_181010","videoId":58407377,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/lady-gaga-writes-powerful-essay-world-mental-health-58407377"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/58407377","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/58407377","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};