Social media guide for Mental Health Awareness Week

Promoting mental health with a clear goal is important keeping in mind that a lot of campaign promotional strategies are available in social media. People’s behavioral change achieved through mental health promotion remains unnoticed for a long time as the result is intangible; this could be one important challenge of mental health promotion on social media. The campaigns were as follows (1) The Buddies for Suicide Prevention, an online campaign to create awareness about suicide prevention. One of the various alternatives to address mental health stigma is through mental health awareness campaigns. In our next post, we’ll look at how we can break the cycle of social media addiction and how small shifts can have big impacts.

Computers in Human Behavior: Digital Media & Adolescent Sleep

The 5 × 5 campaign material was initially shared with the WhatsApp groups of the three target community organizations consisting of 5145 members. The stakeholders involved in the process were selected based on previous participation in a community capacity building suicide prevention and intervention training program. They specifically identify (1) awareness and understanding of emotions; (2) acceptance of emotions; (3) ability to control impulsive behaviors and behave in accordance with desired goals when experiencing negative emotions; and (4) the ability to use emotion regulation strategies in a flexible manner that are situation specific to modulate emotional responses as needed to meet individual goals and situational demands. Mindfulness practice has been linked to positive changes in the brain, the autonomic nervous system, stress hormones, the immune system, and health behaviors including eating, sleeping, and substance use.

Audience reach

One of the biggest advantages of social media is its ability to transcend borders and connect with individuals, no matter where they are. But with social media being such a big part of our daily routine, it also plays a huge role in our mental health. Today, social media is woven into all our lives –from the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed. The Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force (KOHS) report provides best practices for parents and caregivers on safer social media and online platform use for youth and recommended practices for industry.

• Recent studies have explored the effects of digital detox interventions, parental strategies for managing screen time, and the challenges of navigating technology use during this unprecedented period.
• This campaign #Migrainethepainfultruth was a cooperative effort to break the stigma around migraine.
• Mental health disorders affect millions worldwide, but stigma and misinformation often prevent individuals from seeking the care they need.
• The campaign has risen the awareness of mental health problems and led to the creation of a growing online community, where people come to seek and provide help.
• Future research should focus on evaluating the long-term effectiveness of these strategies and developing integrated approaches that leverage both parental and peer support systems.

Highlighting emerging research that shows what parents and teens think about media and how the use of media continues to change. Whether through educational posts, inspiring stories, or simply providing resources, every bit of support helps. Incorporating mental health into a brand’s mission doesn’t have to be limited to World Mental Health Day. The campaign emphasises that even a simple act of reaching out can be powerful, reminding everyone that while someone may feel isolated, they are truly not alone. With an impressive 55 million views, “You Are Not Alone” has sparked important conversations, shedding light on men’s mental health struggles and the societal shift needed to normalise these discussions. Brands can collaborate with mental health advocates or share stories of employees and customers who feel comfortable discussing their journeys.

Hate speech or the misunderstanding of people suffering from mental illness may also occur, such as those diagnosed with schizophrenia. Mental health care for populations and individuals has become critical and increasingly relevant due to the unique challenges we face in the digitization and globalization of information. “While MQ is primarily focused on promoting mental health research, it also recognizes the importance of advocacy in advancing the mental health agenda” suggests Milligan.

Furthermore, social media platforms’ failure to adequately address harmful content exacerbates this crisis, as harmful messages and images can be rapidly disseminated and repeatedly viewed . Further studies have shown that social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook have influenced individuals’ decisions to undergo cosmetic procedures. Boer at al, further investigated problematic social media use and found that this was linked to increased ADHD symptoms over time, more than https://www.oprah.com/own-davidmakesman/resources_2 in patients who used social media platforms with long sessions and frequent episodes, referred to as intense social media use . Since sleep disturbances are a well-established trigger for both manic and depressive episodes, prolonged nighttime social media use can significantly impact mood stability . Studies show that adolescents who spend excessive time on social media often feel more isolated despite being constantly connected online . Studies indicate that adolescents who spend significant time on social media are more likely to experience negative mental health outcomes, including decreased self-esteem and increased feelings of loneliness or social isolation .

Social media holds promise as a means to identify mental health risk, both at an individual level (e.g., via distress posts) and as an indication of broader patterns of risk (e.g., via online mental health dialogue). Young people with minoritized racial-ethnic identities likewise can experience online spaces as venues for identity exploration, empowerment, civic engagement, connection with peers, and building social capital 14, 15. The opportunity to connect with people who share beliefs, values, experiences, and/or identities can enable a sense of belonging and community , which may be particularly important for youth with existing physical or mental health problems . For instance, social media can facilitate self-disclosure, thereby strengthening offline relationships through increased intimacy . To date, most research has focused on the role of social media to facilitate social connections and relationships . While digital media elevates risk for mental health problems for some youth, it can also be leveraged to prevent negative mental health outcomes related to its use and promote well-being.