The self appreciation project: An exploratory study of social media for youth mental health promotion

Abstract

Research has indicated that youth are active users of social media, and often use the platforms to learn about, share experiences, and support others on mental health topics. Accordingly, social media offers a series of platforms ideal for mental health promotion campaigns. The Self Appreciation Project (SAP) was an exploratory campaign in March to June 2021, examining how individuals engage with mental health promotion on Instagram and Twitter. Through 43 infographic-style posts, the SAP accounts shared statistics and research on mental health and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in youth. The posts also explored self-care strategies and encouragement aiming to increase followers’ self-efficacy. The Twitter and Instagram accounts were successful in gaining a following, totalling 488 followers, and can be considered to provide suitable platforms to mental health promotion campaigns. Users on the two platforms showed a distinct difference in engagement with the two styles of posts. Instagram followers (392) showed a preference for positive, advocacy-based content, while the Twitter followers (92) showed no preference based on categorization. The SAP also illustrated a reluctance of followers to engage in discussions within the comments sections. Hashtags and promotions were identified as useful tools in gaining attention and followers to the SAP accounts. The study did not examine the uptake or lived impact of the knowledge and resources shared within the infographics.