Evaluation of Los Angeles County's 2021 WhyWeRise Mental Health Campaign

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Collins, Rebecca L.

Contributor:

Eberhart, Nicole K.

Roth, Elizabeth

Language:

English

Place of Publication:

RAND Corporation 2022

Summary:

Mental health problems are common and debilitating, but many people do not receive the mental health treatment that they need. In 2018, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) launched WhyWeRise, a social marketing campaign that sought to increase community engagement around removing barriers to mental health care access, promote awareness of county mental health resources and services, and communicate messages of resilience, community, hope, and support. WhyWeRise is focused on the prevention of and early intervention for mental health challenges among county residents. The primary aims of the 2021 campaign were to raise awareness of the resources available to support mental health through LACDMH and to communicate messages of resilience, support, and hope. To gain insight into the 2021 WhyWeRise campaign's reach and impact, RAND researchers conducted a survey of Los Angeles County residents to compare the demographic characteristics, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of residents who were exposed to the campaign with those of residents who were not. The survey allowed the researchers to evaluate all the 2021 campaign elements: websites, outdoor ads, television and radio ads, social media posts, and community and digital events. In this report, the researchers describe the methods and findings of their evaluation of the 2021 campaign and provide general conclusions about the campaign's reach and impact.