The RAND Corporation recently published a study evaluating four interagency efforts which promote public awareness campaigns focused on military and veteran mental health. The cross-agency research assessed the Real Warriors Campaign (DOD), Make the Connection (VA), outreach efforts of the Veterans Crisis Line (VA), and Recovery Month (HHS).
While campaign content aligned with shared goals across the agencies and best practices, agencies could improve by citing information better and collecting data on specific target audiences accessing health information.
“Providing direct connections to care may be a difficult task, but this approach is relevant to the campaigns’ shared goal of encouraging target audiences to seek care if needed,” researchers wrote in the study.
Furthermore, the research found a lack of direct connection between health information presented on websites and how to properly access care.
Key findings of the research were broken down into four areas: efficiency of mental health messaging, content of campaign messages, dissemination and reach, and inclusions of direct connections to care.
Navy photo by Seaman Imani Daniels