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A community mental health innovation in mass media preventive education: The alternatives project
Author(s) -
Schanie Charles F.,
Sundel Martin
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/bf00885667
Subject(s) - library science , citation , mental health , substance abuse , sociology , psychology , psychiatry , computer science
An innovative mental health primary and secondary prevention program employing mass media was conducted in the Louisville metropolitan area. For 60 weeks during public service announcement time slots, 21 educational mental health and mental retardation messages were aired on local major radio and television stations. Three project goals were established: (a) improved mental health attitudes; (b) increased awareness of community mental health resources; and (c) increased utilization of community mental health resources. Systematic evaluation, based on data from client-initiated telephone contacts and surveys of the community, indicated that the project appeared to be successful in increasing awareness and utilization of community mental health resources. Positive change was indicated, overall, for attitudes related to cognitive structuring of problem situations. Attitudes related to behavioral resolution of problem situations appeared to be generally uninfluenced. Implications and future directions for the utilization of mass media in community mental health are discussed.