Abstract
Background
Mental health literacy can potentially be improved through a public mental health campaign. The Every Mind Matters (EMM) campaign’s aim was to support adults to help address common sub-clinical mental health problems and improve their mental wellbeing and literacy, by using its NHS-endorsed digital resources.
Aims
Although not an objective of the campaign itself, this study aims to (i) address the relationship of EMM with use of general practitioners (GPs) and mental health therapists and (ii) explore the association of EMM with symptom management knowledge.
Method
Health Survey for England 2019 data were obtained on campaign awareness, uptake of campaign materials, and use of GP and therapists. Logistic regression models were used to explore the impact of the campaign on whether services were used and ordered logistic models explored the impact on the number of contacts. Campaign costs were viewed alongside symptom management outcomes.
Results
The analyses included 2023 individuals. Of those campaign aware, 16% had contact with a GP for mental health reasons compared to 9% of those who were campaign unaware. Those campaign aware were also significantly more likely to have seen a mental health therapist. The campaign cost per unit improvement in symptom management knowledge was below £20.
Conclusions
Contact with GPs and therapists were associated with campaign awareness. If even a small proportion of symptom management knowledge improvement is due to the campaign, then it has the potential to be cost-effective. Further work is required to establish this.
Mental health literacy can potentially be improved through a public mental health campaign. The Every Mind Matters (EMM) campaign’s aim was to support adults to help address common sub-clinical mental health problems and improve their mental wellbeing and literacy, by using its NHS-endorsed digital resources.
Aims
Although not an objective of the campaign itself, this study aims to (i) address the relationship of EMM with use of general practitioners (GPs) and mental health therapists and (ii) explore the association of EMM with symptom management knowledge.
Method
Health Survey for England 2019 data were obtained on campaign awareness, uptake of campaign materials, and use of GP and therapists. Logistic regression models were used to explore the impact of the campaign on whether services were used and ordered logistic models explored the impact on the number of contacts. Campaign costs were viewed alongside symptom management outcomes.
Results
The analyses included 2023 individuals. Of those campaign aware, 16% had contact with a GP for mental health reasons compared to 9% of those who were campaign unaware. Those campaign aware were also significantly more likely to have seen a mental health therapist. The campaign cost per unit improvement in symptom management knowledge was below £20.
Conclusions
Contact with GPs and therapists were associated with campaign awareness. If even a small proportion of symptom management knowledge improvement is due to the campaign, then it has the potential to be cost-effective. Further work is required to establish this.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | BJPsych Open |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 13 Mar 2025 |