Basic facts break down mental health research misconceptions

A simple insight can drive action.

Several iterations of a fundraising campaign for U.K.-based MQ Mental Health Research made clear that the focus needed a reset. Why? Because audiences were overlooking one key insight: Insufficient funding for mental health research is the root cause of issues with mental health treatments. 

Research showed people believed that mental health research is funded either by the government or other charitable interests. That’s not the case. MQ needed to establish a fact-based context for donors to consider: New and effective treatments can’t be developed for an illness that isn’t fully understood; only better-funded research can help.

It wasn’t new information, but it’s the first time MQ put the simple fact out there so bluntly.

MQ used straightforward statistics to illustrate that funding research will lead to better mental health diagnosis, treatments and, perhaps, prevention. Those stark facts were featured in a YouTube video, display ads and various Facebook ads, shepherding people to a custom landing page which talked about underfunding and asked for donations. 

As featured in Ads of the World, a part of the CLIO Network, the stats add up to the inescapable conclusion that donating to mental health research ultimately will help the one in four of us who are affected by mental illness.

MQ Mental Health “Underfunding”

MQ Mental Health “Underfunding”