You Are Not Alone: Creating Online Communities of Support for Mental Illness

Background:  Mental illness affects everyone. Nearly 60 million Americans experience a mental health condition every year. Regardless of race, age, religion or economic status, mental illness impacts the lives of at least one in four adults and one in 10 children across the United States. People living with mental illness need help and hope: they need a community that supports them, their families and their recovery.

Program background:  NAMI has built and cultivates virtual communities that reach millions of Americans who turn to NAMI through NAMI.org and social media channels for the latest information on treatment, services, supports, advocacy and research happenings as well as inspiration, information and encouragement.

Evaluation Methods and Results: Ms. Gay will discuss what NAMI has learned from their communities and how they have been able to leverage discussions and submissions as a part of their You Are Not Alone campaign.

Conclusions: Ms. Gay will discuss how online communities are well suited to populations with unique sensitivities such as mental illness and what specific tactic are employed to create a safe online environment to share and find support.

Implications for research and/or practice: This example adds to the understanding of how online communities can be an effective part of a communications strategy.