The Every Mind Matters campaign: changes in mental health literacy and its associations with campaign awareness

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects on population level mental health literacy (MHL) of Every Mind Matters over 30 months following campaign launch. Methods: To observe changes in MHL over time, we conducted regression analyses on a nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional dataset of nine survey waves from September 2019 to March 2022 and an individual participant data meta-analysis with data from October 2019 to March 2021 to examine the association between campaign awareness and the outcomes. Results: There were small improvements in knowledge of management of stress, depression and anxiety, mental health vigilance, sleep literacy and psychological wellbeing self-efficacy from September 2019 to March 2020 and a deterioration in most MHL outcomes from March 2020 compared with September 2019. Campaign awareness was positively associated with symptom management of depression and anxiety, help seeking self-efficacy, stigma related to mental disorders and mental health vigilance. Conclusions: There is little evidence that the campaign improved MHL in the general population beyond March 2020. Those who were aware of the campaign may have benefitted from its resources.