Researching mental health in men
Halton Borough Council
- Depth interviews
- Focus groups
- Stakeholder engagement
Brief
Halton BC wanted to develop a campaign to engage males aged 20-60 in the borough. Their aim was to help men in Halton consider their own mental health and wellbeing, seek support when needed, and take the necessary self-care steps to prevent mental health challenges
Challenge
Despite improvements in the rate of men engaging with mental health support services in the borough, this figure remains much lower than female comparisons.
There appears to still be a stigma around men seeking help, so we wanted to find out more about what men living locally felt about mental health and seeking support. To understand these types of behaviour, we reached out and spoke to our target audience through a series of focus groups that included a cross-section of males and those with relevant lived experience.
The insights from these focus groups enabled us to identify the specific perceptions and concerns this male audience had, the types of stresses that affected their mental health and the barriers that existed for them in seeking help and support.
Through a process of co-design, we were able to craft a campaign identity and messaging that would resonate with them. To bring it to life, we also created a campaign website that provided practical advice and signposting to the local support that’s available to them.
The campaign is: Calm Your Mind
