Engaging mental health online: Insights from beyondblue’s forum influencers

Abstract

Digital platforms offer an important means for improving the reach, scale and accessibility of community-based support for those dealing with mental health issues. They enable new forms of health participation. A research gap remains in understanding the role of peer mentors in building effective digital environments for mental health support. This article presents part of a larger study centred on the digital interventions of prominent mental health organisation beyondblue. It combines qualitative content analysis and interviews with prominent peer mentors. The analysis presents insights into how some peer mentors are able to act as mental health influencers and examines their impact and role in activating supportive mental health publics. Effective mental health influencers build demonstrable non-professional expertise and authority and, through affective practices, play an active role in framing and re-framing mental health and recovery, stimulating cohesion-generating cycles of impact feedback among forum participants.