Time to Talk Study
Mental health issues are, in many ways, the defining health issue of our time, particularly among younger generations. A staggering one in six U.S. youth struggle with a mental health condition, but only about half receive treatment. And it starts young—50% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
Brands have the platform and reach to play a helpful role in generating broader mental health awareness … but should they?
Brands have the platform and reach to play a helpful role in generating broader mental health awareness … but should they?
To gain deep insights, Hearst Magazines partnered with the Ad Council Research Institute (ACRI) to conduct a research study with more than 4,000 consumers for brand marketers to better understand how to communicate and gain consumer trust when talking about mental health.
Should brands join the mental health conversation? The simple answer is yes, especially when communicating with younger generations. When a company shares a message about mental health, people like it. In fact, the majority of people (⅔ of survey respondents) said they perceive it as positive. When speaking to the public about mental health, brand messages must:
- Have real people share stories about their mental health struggles.
- Show how mental health issues affect everyone (“you are not alone”) and offer hope.
- Showcase collaborations with mental health experts.
- Create consistent, tangible actions that support the message to build consumer trust.
- Share thoughtful resources with real-time support and helpful tools for understanding and managing mental health.
- Highlight the importance of privacy when providing support solutions.
More Key Findings From The Study
- Younger generations have the most positive view of brands talking about mental health.
- (Gen Z 68%, Millennial 70%, Gen X 60%, Boomer 51%)
- If you want to show consumers you’re serious about mental health, make sure you’re focusing both inward and outward:
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- Offering mental health benefits to employees (62%)
- Partnering with mental health orgs (36%)
- Building commitment to mental health into company values (35%)
- Committing to mental health over a long period of time (34%)
- Consumers want brands to chime in throughout the entire mental health journey...
- though slightly more felt it’s important for brands to support prevention messaging.
- When providing mental health resources, consumers want specifics:
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- Contact info for local therapists or doctors (73%)
- Ways to help handle stress (71%)
- Guides for finding the right therapist or doctor (71%)
- Info on how to identify mental health issues (71%)
- Messaging about mental health from brands should be:
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- Encouraging and informative
- Emphasize that support is available
- Use real, diverse/inclusive people
- Be delivered by trusted experts in the mental health space
- Messaging should not downplay the importance of seeking help or try to sell a product or service.
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