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Polling public opinions : a pilot study in marketing mental health

University of British Columbia

This paper provides preliminary information on consumer opinions and perceptions on various mental health issues. Recognizing that citizen in-put is an essential marketing tool for responsive and accountable program planning, the Canadian Mental Health Association - B.C. Division, is in the process of acquiring consumer data as part of its information bank. This pilot study has provided a 'dry run' of what is expected for future research projects. Through telephone interviews with 46 Vancouver City telephone subscribers and mail-out questionnaires to 46 community service: personnel, the Canadian Mental Health Association was able to acquire some relevant information to aid in its decision-making process for planning mental health educational programs. The majority of survey respondents, for example, feel that information on coping with stress is the most important to them while information on the more serious, mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, is least important. This has important implications for program planning if the organization is to enlist public support and market its services to a broader clientele. Focusing on promoting mental health and functional competence versus mental illness focused is recommended if the Canadian Mental Health Association hopes to attract normal population groups as its consumers. Furthermore, learning through friendship and familial support is the most desirable, and helping professionals should not place too much emphasis on pamphlets alone as an educational tool. Other implications arising from the consumer data are discussed in this paper. For the most part, the consumer data has served to verify assumptions about what decision-makers already know ... but the research process is able to ground such assumptions into fact ... and this helps to further legitimize and speed up action. This pilot study serves as an initial starting point for the organization in its attempt to incorporate consumer research as part of its overall planning process.

Text

2010-06-30

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26129

Social Work

University of British Columbia

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