‘Tis the season to discuss mental health

Mental health issues are increasingly spiking around Christmas in the UK, whether it’s the 84% of people who say their mental health gets worse or the 30% of all men who report feeling lonely at Christmas. And while many brands don’t feel Christmas is the right time to align themselves with mental health issues, this year Tesco was notable with its heartwarming but poignant take on grief amid a sea of humorous and wistful Christmas ads.

There’s clearly a wide open space for more brands to take up the mantel of mental health at Christmas. But the harsh reality is that mental health is an issue every day of the year, with one in four of us now experiencing a mental health problem. The real need and opportunity is for brands to support mental health as a purposeful commitment. To take positive action and to show consumers that they care.

Because mental health is an urgent issue that the public does care about. In Revolt’s 2024 Causes That Count report, Brits ranked ‘mental health issues’ 10th in the 50 most pressing issues. And it is an issue likely to rank highly again next year, with multiple reports detailing the worsening crisis from poor conditions in UK mental health hospitals to criticism of the government’s tactics of pushing those on mental health wards back to work.

So, with two million people on mental health waiting lists in the UK, how can brands meaningfully and authentically contribute to such an urgent, nuanced issue? To get a sense of this, it makes sense to look to the charity sector.

Audience first

While jumping into the conversation at a topic or issue level may seem reasonable, a new wave of organizations shows that an intersectional approach to mental health provides a better way to fill structural gaps in support. Whether it’s the challenges of adolescent girls and young women, the social isolation faced by some men, or the unique problems faced by African and Caribbean domestic abuse survivors, next-gen support groups are showing that a deeper understanding of a certain community can lead to more meaningful support.

Brands with niche communities could work to explore the particular challenges their consumers face and identify partners already speaking to these experiences. Or they can identify a next-gen support group with a particular brand fit.

Listen, speak

Once you’ve identified your brand’s audience, you need to understand your brand’s place in the conversation and what it can offer. Mental health is a nuanced and highly personal space, which means a one-size-fits-all approach might be unlikely to resonate.

Frazzled is a great example of an organization that understands its role in the conversation. Founded in 2017 by comedian Ruby Wax, the initiative brings people together in safe spaces to open up and be vulnerable about the everyday stresses of modern life. While this approach might at first seem broad, the group is uniquely positioned to support anyone struggling who maybe feels they don’t have anywhere else to turn for support.

Challenging taboos is another way brands can add to the conversation. Death Cafe is a global movement that takes one of life’s most taboo topics, death, and approaches it in a fresh way. Rather than being a grief support group or replacement counseling service, the initiative uses death as a vehicle to help people embrace life and overcome anxieties.

Brands can look to how these organizations have approached mental health for inspiration. Where is there a gap in the conversation? A space to add nuance or fresh perspectives? What kind of creative hook can be used to quickly connect with those struggling? Taking the time to identify these things will help you to bring meaningful and specific impact.

Action-oriented

Some of the biggest campaigns in the mental health space have been awareness-driving – just looking at any of CALM’s much-talked-about campaigns in recent years. As a nation, we are starting to understand that mental health is an important issue that needs support – the big question is, how to do this?

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) this year launched its C.A.R.E. kit alongside another big, headline-grabbing campaign around youth suicide. Taking on a new audience target, the campaign speaks to “trusted adults” who can intervene by speaking to young people experiencing suicidal thoughts. Raising awareness of the issue but also providing actionable tools means that awareness can be translated into solutions.

It is important to remember this is a time that many struggle despite being surrounded by Christmas festivities. But these spikes are simply symptoms of a bigger issue, one that many brands have the scale and potential to support so long as they do it in the right ways.