Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on a mental health educational campaign for the public

Abstract

Objective: To explore barriers and facilitators in implementing an educational campaign in mental health for the public in Qatar. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Healthcare facilities across Qatar were used as the setting. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 healthcare providers from a variety of professions, including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, psychologists and administrators. Results: Findings indicate that these healthcare providers support the concept of public mental health education but feel that several factors need to be considered before any educational campaign is undertaken. A public mental health education campaign should target improving the public’s mental health literacy as well as describing appropriate pathways to mental health care. Health care providers believe such educational campaigns should be started in schools so that mental health awareness can have a positive influence from a young age. The social media were viewed as a suitable platform to deliver positive messages relating to mental health to the public. Any educational campaign in mental health should consider the cultural context with which it is being delivered. In conclusion, healthcare providers appeared to have similar views on the importance of public mental health education but differed in their opinions of the challenges faced. Conclusion: Consideration of the message intended and how it is delivered should be addressed as part of a successful public mental health educational campaign.