A social marketing approach to challenging stigma

Providing psychological support to people with mental illness continues to be hampered by negative stigma. This article presents tools that help psychologists form partnerships with consumers to address the deleterious practice implications of stigma. This article describes a 3-stage persuasive method for attitude change. regarding people with mental illness, developed and piloted in 2 antistigma, social marketing campaigns by Idaho State University's Institute of Rural Health and the state of Idaho. The approach incorporates (a) methods to empower people with mental illness through a unique interactive process, (b) campaign design and distribution, and (c) methodology for evaluating effectiveness in the context of stigma. The model was applied to 2 Idaho projects, a multifaceted antistigma campaign pertaining to adult and child consumers and another regarding people of all ages with all disabilities, including mental illness. Participating in social marketing campaign development and evaluation provides new options for psychologists' practice.