Noah Kahan is a singer-songwriter from Stratford, Vermont. Born in 1997, he learned how to play guitar at a young age and earned his first record deal at 20 years old. In 2022, his song “Stick Season” brought him fame as it explored a particular time in his Vermont hometown, according to Genius. Since then, he has continued to discuss the difficulties of change, his challenging feelings surrounding his home, and the attention that comes with being famous, as detailed in The New Yorker. The full-length album of “Stick Season” gained him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, but even before then, his first full-length album “Busyhead,” released in 2019, was the start of Kahan’s well-being charity, The Busyhead Project. Struggling with his mental health from a young age, learning about himself through therapy and self-reflection has been a key aspect of his journey with his own mental health, as he described to The Guardian.

The Busyhead Project

The Busyhead Project was launched in 2023 as a nonprofit mental health organization founded by Kahan to end stigmatization, raise awareness, and improve resource accessibility. The website offers opportunities to get involved by learning how to support others struggling with their mental health, donating to organizations that provide resources, and inspiring activism in friends and family. In addition, the organization’s website features a Community Wall with thousands of notes written by fans and activists with advice to younger selves, one thing they are proud of, and other inspiring prompts. By building community through facilitating connection and recognizing personal struggles, Kahan has paved the way for inclusion and acceptance of mental health as a legitimate issue.

Success

The organization has also achieved significant success in fundraising. Since its founding, The Busyhead Project has raised over $6 million for more than 150 community-led organizations around the world to target mental health stigma. For instance, in 2025, Kahan held a benefit show at MGM Musical Hall at Fenway after the City of Boston declared Nov. 20, 2025, as “Noah Kahan’s The Busyhead Project Day.” This intimate crowd performance featured a surprise appearance from Niall Horan and raised more than $1.5 million, with proceeds split evenly between The Busyhead Project and The Red Sox Foundation.

Additionally, many of the festivals Kahan played at in 2025 featured wellness experiences with special products and kits for people to take care of their physical health and check in with themselves during the busy festival experience. These kits were given to more than 200 artists, bands, and crew members backstage. In 2025 alone, The Busyhead Project donated over $1 million to other international mental health organizations.

Mental Health Importance in Poverty

Mental health issues are important in poverty because the disparities in resource accessibility and respect for human rights for those living with neurological conditions vary widely between poor and rich countries. As poverty increases the risk of mental health problems, supporting people who struggle with their emotional well-being is crucial to addressing poverty in its entirety. Stigma is also a major aspect of mental health perception in developing countries, contributing to negative attitudes toward health care professionals due to medical distrust, cultural barriers, and lack of resources. Survey data from the World Mental Health Surveys shows that double the percentage of participants from developing countries faced discrimination due to mental illness compared to those from developed countries. Furthermore, in 2022, the World Health Organization reported that of the 970 million people suffering from mental disorders globally, 82% lived in low- and middle-income countries.

Without accessible and free mental health support, inequities will continue to harm those in poverty, exacerbating their struggles and making getting help more difficult.

– Niamh Werner

Niamh is based in New York, NY, USA and focuses on Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr