Over the last decade people didn’t commonly associate mental health with education. It’s only been recent years that education has overcome the stigmatization that often comes with mental health.
With that stigma, sufferers would reach out to those closest to them, loved ones, and a faith leader, before approaching a mental health provider.
With adequate education on mental wellness and actionable steps, mental health can become normalized.
Introduction To Mental Health And The Stigma Surrounding It
The lack of understanding surrounding mental health leads the community to expect those suffering from mental unwellness to do so quietly, blatantly displaying the stigma and unacceptance surrounding this component of healthcare.
Stigma defined is a “blemish, a mark, or a stain.” People living with mental illness, if “exposed,” are left to feel less valuable as a person, as though they should be ashamed, seen in a negative light, and sometimes treated differently. The behavior can lead to discrimination in many situations, creating adverse reactions with the condition.
This creates an environment where individuals feel as though they need to suffer in silence, dealing with the symptoms and effects alone.
Why Marketing To The Patient Population About Mental Health Is Important
Marketing agencies are attempting to start a conversation on mental health where the discussion was avoided previously. “Calls to action” are being developed to accelerate awareness and present solutions.
Although there’s some acknowledgment starting, patients are still uncomfortable reaching out to medical providers with many keeping their struggles to themselves.
In many cases, individuals seek answers through internet searches finding the web a safe resource. That makes digital marketing the ideal medium for mental health facilities to reach those in need. What is a strategy to capture the attention of a patient? Let’s learn.
The ideal first step is education.
A digital piece of education and information for the patient to discreetly become informed on what services are available and how the processes work can be an integral part of that patients road to health-giving services.
The content needs to answer any questions individuals visiting the site might pose to encourage the person to move forward. Therapists must discuss their specialties, including their years in the field and credentials.
The process for setting up a consultation should be simplified, and for those who are following up, a patient login for easy scheduling needs to be made available.
The telehealth strategy is increasingly growing in favor with the mental health community.
Telehealth usage is increasingly becoming the most favored means for seeking treatment for the mental health population. Providers are beginning to establish a more accepting attitude toward the services while patients find it a comfortable and safer method for seeking assistance.
The practice began with the pandemic when behavioral health professionals started incorporating the approach with standard treatment to ensure patients had access to their treatment plans. In the time since then, it has grown to be a beneficial selling prospect for people to obtain care privately and conveniently.
Behavioral health is a specialty most positively impacted by telehealth services compared to any other.
With all the new telehealth platforms incorporating innovative strategies, including “video marketing, paid social ads, and influencer marketing,” conventional behavior health services are keeping on top of the marketing trends to reach their audience.
Leading the reader to you.
Mental health services are a specialty that patients will pursue in a local setting. A patient feeling uneasy will not travel to a location where they further believe they don’t belong. Many will use a location-based search when looking online for services using “near me.”
While telehealth is increasingly gaining favor, most patients still prefer to see a provider in person and to do so in close proximity to their residence.
The mental health community pays attention to the brand’s reputation
The online feedback a business receives can grossly impact local optimization. A majority of consumers trust reviews like Google review, YELP and similar listings. In saying that, patients will read other clients’ feedback to discern if a facility will be suitable for their needs. Positive reviews will give medical practitioners the incentive to provide referrals. Another reason why having a digital reputable footprint of your location is so crucial.
As a provider, it can be straightforward for a client to leave a review when there’s a CTA button at their disposal, allowing feedback like a review form. Also, reaching out to returning patients, a small reminder, can sometimes jar their memory when they merely forget to offer their opinions.
Instead of asking for feedback, practices can invest in software meant to collect reviews, a “text-to-review user-friendly tool” meant to generate reviews.
Statistics On Why Outreach And Marketing Are Crucial
Within this country, “one out of five” adults suffer from mental unwellness, with loved ones close to them who are touched by their suffering despite the fact that they do not have a condition. Statistics show US adults endure:
- Schizophrenia – roughly 2 million people
- OCD – roughly 3 million people
- Borderline personality disorder – roughly 4 million people
- Bipolar disorder – roughly 7 million people
- Post-traumatic stress disorder – roughly 7 million people
- Major depression – roughly 20 million people
- Anxiety disorder – roughly 48 million people
Outreach and making people aware through marketing campaigns helps those with mental unwellness develop the confidence to access treatment then. They see the conversation, more people are discussing it, and it makes them more comfortable to speak with a provider.
When there’s more content, and literature to help families and close friends to become informed, they will better understand their loved one’s condition offering the utmost support and ensuring to help them connect with the appropriate networks.
Marketing to the public to make them aware of the growing need for mental health support can help mental health professionals gain funding for continued research and optimum treatment care plans to benefit mental wellness.
Mental unwellness doesn’t define you. There are opportunities for treatment and the potential for recovery to have a quality life. People need to understand that individuals suffering from mental challenges also have many talents, ideas, thoughts, favorite things they like, things they’re not fond of, and regular everyday happenings that coincide with their struggles.
Finding the right provider that can offer a diagnosis and present a care plan, including the potential for therapy and medication management can lead to a restored life.
How Does Target Continuum Exemplify Marketing Services For Patient Outreach And Education
There are people whose mental wellness suffers because they don’t have access to adequate health education.
With Target Continuum, the belief is that change can only be recognized if behavioral health facilities have a comprehensive plan to reach out to patients with relevant information and aggressively promote quality services available to these individuals in their locations. If incorporated properly, the strategies should:
- Increase the community’s mental wellness awareness.
- Increase the patient flow.
- Ultimately more patients are served.
While quality practitioners make a difference in patients’ lives, marketing services capture the client’s attention so they can find the providers.
They make the details accessible, allowing the individual to be well informed and provide the encouragement they need to move forward.