The delivery of mental health provision is a public relations challenge. Behavioural science offers a potential solution.

How are you feeling? No really, how are you feeling?

Initial research into the effect of the COVID-19 on mental health and wellbeing is grim. Anxiety, stress, and suicidal thoughts have all reportedly increased.

The third lockdown is proving tough.

We know that the vaccination programme means that there is a way out of the situation but the gratification to come does not make it any lighter. Home schooling, working from home, limited social connection, the weather and restrictions on movement all compound the issue.

The mental health impact of COVID-19 on society is unequal. Frontline care and NHS and care workers face acute issues. Higher risk groups include women, young people, people working on the frontline, and people with pre-existing mental health conditions.

The situation is exacerbated by people not seeking the support that they need when experiencing mental ill-health. A reluctance to seek help and access to services are cited as issues.

At behavioural science communications agency Lynn PR we have characterised the COVID-19 mental health crisis and the challenges facing mental health provisions in a briefing paper. It maps the requirements and solutions to tackling the increased mental health issues in the UK population.

It is a timely piece of work.

The UK Government has pledged an extra £2 billion a year to mental health services from 2023 as part of a landmark reform of mental health laws. The new investment is intended to bring parity to mental and physical health services.

The UK Government Communication Service has also published a best practice guide The Principles of Behaviour Change Communications. It describes the application of behavioural science to communication.

Lynn PR has characterised the behavioural barriers which would need to be addressed in order to successfully connect those in need of mental health support with relevant services. These include:

• Information and choice overload: Contrary to popular belief, too much information can result in people not wanting to make a choice, or it might make them feel anxious about their decisions

• Status quo bias: This is an emotional bias where we often prefer the current state of affairs. If individuals have previously not taken action to care for their mental health and sought support, they may prefer that route and this inertia has the potential for drastic consequences, especially for those who might require urgent care.

• Confirmation bias: The rise of social media has resulted in increasing confirmation bias; that is, a tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs. Individuals may choose to ignore information that goes against their beliefs, especially when dealing with complex issues like mental health.

Other behavioural barriers include reliance on peer choices and a conflict between willpower and desire.

“Tackling mental ill-health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is more than just an ongoing concern - it’s a priority. Now is the time to build long-term strategies for communicating with key demographics about mental ill-health and the importance of self-management and early intervention,” said Shayoni Lynn, Director and Principal Consultant, Lynn PR.

“We hope that this briefing paper will support healthcare providers in designing communication programmes that start to address the challenges and barriers identified, and to promote desired actions that help people connect with the services and support they need, quickly.”

A campaign by Lynn PR for NHS South East London Clinical Commissioning Group sought to raise awareness of mental health support services during the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK. It delivered 4.5x improvement in engagement compared with typical benchmarks, crucially reaching diverse and seldom-heard audiences.

The paper sets out a series of strategic recommendations to improve engagement between mental health service provisions and people that need help and support. These include demographic and user journey mapping, behavioural research, localised targeting and levelling up seldom-heard communities.

You can download a copy of the briefing paper from the Lynn PR website. I support Lynn PR as a professional advisor and non executive director.