ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Commun.
Sec. Health Communication
This article is part of the Research TopicPathways to Mental Health Resilience in Emergency Personnel: Protective Strategies and Occupational ChallengesView all 8 articles
Testing mental health awareness communication materials targeting first responders: An exploratory study
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Central Florida, Orlando, United States
- 2Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, United States
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Word count: 249 First responders may face significant challenges impacting their mental well-being, yet mental health services are historically underutilized due to barriers such as stigma, fear of consequences, and lack of occupationally competent programs. Effective communication strategies are essential to encourage help-seeking behavior among this group. Objective: This research aimed to test campaign materials designed to motivate first responders to utilize mental health resources and gather data to inform the development of effective behavior change campaigns. Method: Using a cross-sectional survey, researchers assessed first responders' attitudes toward various mental health campaign materials. The survey included mental health advertisements and Likert-scale statements, allowing participants to prioritize advertising methods and rate their preferences for commonly used terminology. Results: Out of 245 respondents, 149 completed at least 75% of the survey and were included in the analysis. The results showed that billboards were least effective in influencing information-seeking, while social media posts with real images and testimonials ranked highest. Respondents emphasized the importance of credibility, trust, and the use of real images in effective messaging. Social media and in-person visits were identified as the most effective ways to reach first responders. Terminology focused on resiliency and mental wellness was preferred over terms like "hero" and "warrior." Discussion: Promoting mental health among first responders requires targeted communication strategies that resonate with their experiences. Strengths-based imagery and messaging, along with consistent mental wellness programs, are recommended to support first responders' mental health. Leadership within their organizations plays a crucial role in reinforcing these messages.
Keywords: First responder, Mental wellness, Advertising campaigns, Marketing, Mental Health
Received: 04 Aug 2025; Accepted: 06 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 ODare, Atwell, Porter and Carlson-Moore. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kellie ODare, kellie.odare@ucf.edu
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.