July 28, 2026

Young adults leading mental health efforts to support their peers can create supportive, low-stress environments for young adults dealing with mental health challenges to connect and support one another. But, how can trusted adults and community organizations best help and empower young adults to lead? Lessons learned from the UNC-Chapel Hill NAMI on Campus Chapter provide insight.

What is NAMI?

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI’s core mission is to provide advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

What is NAMI on Campus?

NAMI on Campus clubs work to end the stigma that makes it hard for students to talk about mental health and get the help they need. College brings new experiences, opportunities, challenges, and stressors for all students. And, a third of young adults are navigating a diagnosable mental health condition in addition to the challenges of college. Nearly three-quarters of mental health conditions emerge by age 24. Many college students are facing mental health concerns for the first time and may not know where to go for support.

Clubs hold creative meetings, hold innovative awareness events, and offer signature NAMI programs. When students connect with one another, they can share experiences and support each other.

NAMI On Campus clubs are student-led, student-run mental health clubs on high school and college campuses. These clubs:

• Raise mental health awareness with fairs, walks and candlelit vigils.
• Educate the campus with presentations, guest speakers and student panels.
• Advocate for improved mental health services and policies on campus.
• Support peers with signature NAMI programs and training from NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates.

Youth Leadership Driving Impact

Providing a space for discussion and connection can help college students navigating mental health challenges through:

Providing a non-intimidating, informal environment to connect with peers

• • In addition to programming focused specifically on mental health, youth-led organizations can provide other events and opportunities for young adults to connect, making it less intimidating to talk about mental health at another time.

Reducing stigma by showing that other peers are navigating similar challenges

• • When young adults see their peers talking about navigating mental health challenges, it helps challenge the feeling that they are the only ones experiencing difficulties.
  • Peers may also be able to better connect with one another because they understand firsthand their day to day challenges and routines than adults who are at a different stage of life.

“We’re more relatable, and we were there to Kind of provide that image of, oh, wait, you know when a person that, like, looks like me, and dresses like me, and is the same age as me is talking about something that I thought was really heavily stigmatized.”

Sharing knowledge and resources of other support services

• • Youth-led groups can act as an entry point to other services by sharing information about where to receive further support
  • “[NAMI on Campus is] bridging the gap between UNC facilities, NAMI, and getting people to where they feel they want to go, and where they want to be.”

Empowering Youth Leadership

For community groups looking to support youth leadership efforts, consider the following”

1. Prioritize mentoring young adults
   • To empower youth to lead, it’s important that adults provide support and mentorship for effective communication, event planning, and other tasks
   • Youth leaders can develop important personal and professional skills through this experience that benefit them beyond their involvement in a mental health organization
2. Provide a space for youth to lead autonomously, with supportive guidance from adults
   • Having an equal, trusting partnership between with adults allows youth leaders to creatively lead and find events and methods that resonate best with their pers, rather than simply carrying out the mission of a larger organization.
3. Allow youth to learn, even if through failure
   • To figure out how to best provide supports to their peers, it’s important that young adults also be given the opportunity to try out new ideas, connect with their peers, and learn from both successes and failure

“Sometimes it’s important to see, like, how [youth leaders] face adversity, and… give them with the autonomy to lead, but also to fail…be there for them in times of adversity, but find that fine line between structure and the autonomy to lead.”

Thank you to Nicholas Menzel for speaking with the Carolina Across 100 team about NAMI on Campus. You can watch the webinar recording below: