The 2025 revival of the “Ice Bucket Challenge” in the form of the #SpeakYourMIND challenge is attempting to bring awareness to mental health in the same way the viral trend raised millions for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research a decade ago.
While the intentions behind this new challenge are noble, the execution seems to miss the mark in truly addressing the complexities of mental health struggles and may even serve to trivialize the very cause it seeks to support.
Many of us who remember the fear of being tagged in the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge recall it as a movement for nervous system disease research. When the trend resurfaced, I assumed, like others, it was for the same cause.
The Ice Bucket Challenge originally became popular in 2014 as a social media campaign where participants dumped ice water on themselves to raise awareness and funds for those suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to the ALS Association.
It is a degenerative nervous system disease that affects the nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord and causes the brain to be unable to initiate and control voluntary movements such as breathing, according to a webpage from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The trend started because of three men diagnosed with the disease: Pete Frates, Patrick Quinn and Anthony Senerchia. The men’s families decided to create awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis through the funny challenge, according to the ALS Association.
The challenge soon became viral, with over 17 million people participating worldwide and raising $115 million for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research, according to an ALS Association webpage.
The success of the challenge allowed for key scientific breakthroughs for ALS development, including funding larger research projects and clinical trials, according to ALS United.
However, some observers initially confused the #SpeakYourMIND challenge with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, assuming it was again raising funds for ALS before realizing it was focused on mental health awareness.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge’s new predecessor in the form of the #SpeakYourMINDchallenge brings attention to mental health, according to an April 17 Active Minds press release.
Started by the University of South Carolina’s MIND club (Mental Illness Needs Discussion), the new initiative encourages participants to dump ice water on themselves to raise awareness for the Active Minds nonprofit, according to the same press release.
From the description, the only significant differences between the two challenges are the cause they support and the organization they benefit.
In many ways, the #SpeakYourMIND challenge is borrowing the same formula that made the “Ice Bucket Challenge” so successful, but in doing so, it risks reducing mental health advocacy to confusion.
This method of raising awareness may seem harmless, even fun, but it also overlooks the serious nature of mental health struggles.
While pouring ice water over oneself can symbolise the shock of a disease like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, it is not as effective a metaphor for mental health challenges which are more abstract and less visually tangible.
Mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD are symptoms subtle, complex and often invisible to the outside world, making it difficult to convey their gravity through a viral challenge.
The #SpeakYourMIND challenge has undoubtedly brought attention to mental health, but it fails to provide the same depth of connection that the Ice Bucket Challenge achieved with ALS.
According to Active Minds, the nonprofit supporting the campaign has raised more than $40,000 from over 2,000 submissions.
While the support is certainly welcome, it is a mere fraction of the resources required to meet the ongoing needs of mental health programs across the country.
According to Mental Health America, an estimated 50 million adults in the U.S. experienced some form of mental illness between 2019-2020.
In contrast, around 30,000 people in the U.S. had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 2022, with projections indicating a 10% increase in the coming decade, according to a Jan. 8 ALS News Today article.
This difference illustrates a key challenge in the #SpeakYourMIND campaign.
The original “Ice Bucket Challenge” was highly effective in driving targeted donations that funded specific, long-term research; however, mental health advocacy requires a much broader, more nuanced approach.
Mental health struggles are complex and multifaceted, influenced by genetic, physical, and emotional factors, each requiring personalized resources and tailored strategies for effective support, according to the Mental Health Foundation.
To truly make a difference, we need to address the systemic issues that affect access to care and reduce stigmas and provide continuous support across diverse communities.
Unfortunately, the #SpeakYourMIND challenge risks oversimplifying these complex issues by focusing on a one-time event instead of fostering the deeper ongoing conversations needed to create meaningful change.
While I support the intention behind the challenge, it doesn’t yet match the specificity and targeted impact that the Ice Bucket Challenge had for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Mental health deserves more than a hashtag; it deserves sustainable action and a comprehensive strategy that addresses the many dimensions of the issue.
