By Stephanie Watson

COVID-19 has left Americans feeling stressed out, sleepless, and worried. On the 15th anniversary of WebMD's Health Heroes awards, we celebrate six people who have worked tirelessly to improve the mental health of medical professionals, veterans, first responders, and older adults.

ADVOCATE

Medical resident Justin Bullock speaks out about suicide and mental health in his profession, using his own personal struggles to help others overcome the stigma.

CHAMPION

Through his nonprofit, Next 18, Matt McDonell uses golf to help veterans and first responders deal with trauma through camaraderie, meditation, and mindfulness practices.

HELPER

Neuroscientist Ariel Brown founded The Emotional PPE Project to ease the mental health burden on health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anthony Zhou

Aditi Merchant

Allen Zhou

To curb loneliness, cofounders Anthony Zhou (top), Aditi Merchant (middle), and Allen Zhou (bottom) link generations through Big & Mini, a virtual volunteering site.