Mental health awareness has become increasingly important in recent years, leading to the rise of media-based campaigns designed to encourage help-seeking behaviours. Men, in particular, often face unique social and psychological barriers that prevent them from reaching out for support. Understanding the effectiveness of these campaigns is critical for improving future initiatives and ensuring that mental health resources are accessible to those who need them most.

In a recent systematic review published in Health Promotion International, we examined the impact of media-based campaigns on male help-seeking attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and behaviours related to mental disorders, distress, suicide, or self-harm. Our analysis covered twenty-two studies incorporating academic and unpublished literature and evaluated effectiveness across five key components.

Key Findings

Some Evidence of Effectiveness

Our review found some support for media-based campaigns improving help-seeking behaviours related to mental health, particularly for mental health or depression-focused campaigns. However, many of the studies reviewed had a high risk of bias, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. For example, six campaigns focusing on various mental health concerns or mental health combined with suicide prevention found an improvement in help-seeking outcomes among men, whereas the remaining five campaigns found no effect.

Campaign Features That May Work

Certain features appeared to enhance campaign effectiveness. Specifically:

• Brochures and testimonials: Campaigns that included personal stories about people who successfully sought help showed a greater impact on shifting attitudes.
• Male or mixed-gender imagery: Including relatable male or female figures in campaign materials helped promote help-seeking.
• Tailored language: Campaigns that used gain-framed and male-sensitive messaging aligned with male communication preferences saw better effectiveness rates.

What Campaigns Should Avoid

Our analysis suggested that some approaches might be less effective or even counterproductive:

• Problem-focused language: Campaigns emphasising struggles risk reinforcing avoidance.
• Brief media exposures: Short-term campaigns delivered through brief media formats (e.g., social media ads) without supplementary materials (e.g., brochures) often fail to create lasting behavioural change.

Challenges in Evaluation

A major challenge in assessing these campaigns is the inconsistency in methodologies across studies. Additionally, many studies relied on self-reported measures, which may not accurately capture real behavioural change.

Need for Rigorous Research

More rigorous, well-designed studies are needed to improve future evaluations. Standardised measurement tools and longitudinal designs should be employed to understand better the sustained impact of media campaigns on male help-seeking behaviours.

Implications for Campaign Designers

While media campaigns are crucial in raising awareness and reducing stigma, their direct impact on increasing help-seeking remains unclear. Based on our findings, campaign designers should:

• Use personal testimonials to make messages relatable and emotionally engaging.
• Incorporate male-preferred communication styles, such as action-oriented and solution-focused language.
• Avoid messaging focusing solely on problems.
• Ensure that campaigns include multiple exposure points (e.g., brochures, social media, and community outreach) rather than relying on single-channel communication.
• Aim for longitudinal studies to track changes in behaviour over time.

Who Should Read This?

This review is particularly relevant to mental health practitioners, campaign designers, policymakers, and organisations seeking to develop or refine male-focused mental health awareness initiatives. By implementing evidence-based strategies, stakeholders can improve the effectiveness of campaigns and better address the barriers men face when seeking mental health support.

Call to Action

Mental health awareness campaigns are pivotal in reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking behaviours among men. To make a meaningful impact, we need to invest in and identify more evidence-based strategies and ensure that outreach efforts align with the preferences and needs of their intended audiences. We encourage practitioners, policymakers, and campaign developers to collaborate to design more effective campaigns.

For more details, you can access the full paper: The Impact of Media-Based Mental Health Campaigns on Male Help-Seeking: A Systematic Review.