California governor signs executive order to support boys and men and
improve their mental health
[July 31, 2025]
By SOPHIE AUSTIN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an
executive order Wednesday aimed at supporting men and boys and improving
their mental health outcomes, in an effort to lower suicide rates among
young men and help them feel less isolated.
The order directs the state Health and Human Services Agency to
recommend ways to address suicide rates among young men and help them
seek services to improve their mental health and well-being. It also
requires the state to connect them with education and career
opportunities.
“Too many young men and boys are suffering in silence — disconnected
from community, opportunity, and even their own families," Newsom, a
Democrat, said in a statement. "This action is about turning that
around. It’s about showing every young man that he matters and there’s a
path for him of purpose, dignity, work, and real connection.”
The issue has come increasingly into focus for Democrats since last
year’s election, when the party lost young men to President Donald
Trump, who framed much of his campaign as a pitch to men who felt
scorned by the country’s economy, culture and political system. More
than half men under 30 supported Trump, according to AP VoteCast, a
survey of more than 120,000 voters, while Democrat Joe Biden had won a
similar share of that group four years earlier.
Newsom, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, has talked about the
need to support men and boys on his podcast. The majority of his guests,
which have included MAGA figures, Democratic politicians and book
authors, have been men.
He released an episode Wednesday with Richard Reeves, the founder and
president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, a group that
researches issues affecting the well-being of men, to discuss what can
be done to better meet their needs. Newsom said at the beginning of the
episode that it’s an important issue to address beyond just discussing
it as a political hurdle for Democrats.
“If you tune into the podcast, you may have noticed a theme — a theme
that continues to emerge around men and boys,” Newsom said. “What is
going on with our men and boys? Increasingly isolated, increasingly
feeling disengaged, disconnected, depressed.”
Newsom's order requires the state to try to get more men and boys to
serve their communities through volunteer programs and support pathways
to help more male students become teachers and school counselors. State
agencies must also recommend ways to get more young men to participate
in state career education and training programs, as well as an
initiative to help improve student outcomes. Officials must provide an
update within two months.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at Pasadena City College,
Monday, July 7, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (David Crane/The Orange
County Register via AP, File)
 Karen Vicari, director of public
policy at Mental Health America of California, a mental health
advocacy nonprofit, said the order is important but does not go far
enough.
“We strongly support all efforts to improve behavioral health and
reduce suicide for men, boys and all Californians,” she said. “But
the fact still remains that our behavioral health care system is
extremely underfunded and experiencing severe workforce shortages.”
The order “couldn’t come at a more critical moment,” said Pete Weldy,
CEO of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, a group
that advocates for the health and well-being of children and
families.
“As the federal government slashes suicide prevention funding and
undermines programs that reduce disparities, we stand by the
Governor and are proud the State is devoting resources to address
the urgent mental health needs of young men, boys, and kids,” Weldy
said in a statement.
The Trump administration announced last month it would remove a
hotline service providing tailored support options to LGBTQ+ youth
and young adults.
Men make up half the population but account for 80% of suicides in
the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. The U.S. suicide mortality rate — defined as deaths per
100,000 people — for men and boys in 2023 was 22.7, about four times
higher than that of women and girls, according to the CDC.
California had one of the lowest suicide rates in the country in
2023, per the CDC. The suicide mortality rate was about 10.2,
compared with a rate of 14.1 in the U.S. overall.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or
someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis
lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.
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