Public disclosures of mental health problems on social media and audiences’ self-reported anti-stigma effects

Bibliographic Data

ID22945327
AuthorsZ W Zhang (0000-0002-6258-9557, The University of Melbourne), Nicola Reavley (0000-0001-5513-8291, The University of Melbourne), Gregory Armstrong (0000-0002-8073-9213, The University of Melbourne), Amy J Morgan (0000-0003-3784-0540, The University of Melbourne)
Year2025
Volume40
Issue1
Publication date2025-01-17
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Promotion International (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0957-4824 • E-ISSN: 1460-2245
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/heapro/daae204
PMID39835579
OpenAlexW4406677814
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited57

Public disclosures of mental health problems on social media represent a potentially powerful informal avenue for increasing mental health literacy and reducing public stigma in relation to people with mental health problems. We investigated whether the audience reported any reduction in their own stigma toward people with mental health problems after exposure to disclosures. We also examined whether self-reported stigma reduction was associated with the characteristics of audience members, the disclosers and the disclosure messages. We used Prolific to obtain a convenience sample (N = 803) of adults who had been exposed to a disclosure. We administered an online survey to participants and conducted a series of logistic regressions to identify any associations between disclosure-related characteristics and audience self-reported stigma reduction. Our findings showed that certain aspects of the messaging process appeared to be associated with stigma reduction. These included explicit diagnoses from disclosers, particular message themes such as psychosocial causes of mental ill health, and positive and echoing comments from other users. In addition, audience members who reported greater levels of empathy toward, perceived similarity to and identification with disclosers tended to report reduced stigma. These findings contribute to the evidence base underpinning how, when and which public disclosures of mental health problems on social media have the potential for stigma reduction. They can further help inform future health promotion practices on social media aiming to mitigate mental health-related stigma at the population level. Future research may focus more on the dynamics and match between disclosers and audiences and their effects on stigma.

Environmental health · Family medicine · Health promotion · Mental health · Mental health literacy · Mental illness · Population · Psychiatry · Psychosocial · Public health · Self-disclosure · Social media · Social stigma · Stigma (botany) · Clinical Psychology · Media Influence and Health · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Mental Health via Writing · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology

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