Mental Health Awareness campaigns that help destigmatise mental illness and normalise our general discourse surrounding mental health have gained momentum as more and more people have become aware of the importance of tackling the topic of mental health in a tactful, empathetic, and authentic manner, whilst promoting an approach based on kindness and transparency. Partly influenced by the devastating effects of the pandemic, partly due to a general paradigm shift towards awareness and a more inclusive worldview, this phenomenon has generated a surge in initiatives meant to summon empathy and unite people, with the aim of making a palpable positive change and ultimately helping people live happier, more fulfilling lives by facilitating access to support and recovery.

My latest blog post at dianamarindigital.com analyses how mental health organisations that are intrinsically devoted to this cause have inspired change through impactful campaigns that have sparked meaningful conversations and, in some cases, helped significantly transform people’s lives for the better. Whether by utilising the eternally stirring powers of spoken word poetry, portrait photography, or video or providing stimulating tools for self-reflection, these incentives have made an impact that continues to cause ripples and echoes in time and, in many cases, their relevance and striking effects have been sustained through creative acts ranging from picking a memorable hashtag to reinterpreting stories through a poetic lens. As we shall see, success was in part attributed to leveraging social media to convey the right message in the right way to a wide range of people.

Here are the campaigns I explored in my article:

1. “If this speaks to you, speak to Mind” by Mind
2. “The Last Photo” by CALM
3. “Every Mind Matters” by Mental Health Foundation
4. “Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health” collaboration between several advocacy groups such as The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, The Jed Foundation, Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the National Council for Behavioral Health.
5. The “Unlonely Project” by the Foundation for Art & Healing
6. “B4Stage4” by Mental Health America
7. “Act Early” by YoungMinds
8. “Get Into Nature” by Change your Mind
9. “The Big Event for Mental Health” by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with United for Global Mental Health and the World Federation for Mental Health
10. “The Healthy Relationships” by Mental Health Foundation

For descriptions of the campaigns and more, read the full article on my other website:

Impactful Mental Health Campaigns Launched by Mental Health Organisations