African Agricultural Biotechnology (Applied Science/Tech) | 22 November 2002
Social Media's Impact on Mental Health Awareness Campaigns Among Urban Youth in Accra, Ghana: Engagement and Knowledge Acquisition at Six Months
K, w, a, s, i, K, w, a, b, e, n, a, ,, Y, a, w, A, s, a, r, e, ,, A, m, e, y, a, w, G, y, a, m, f, i
Abstract
Social media platforms have become integral in modern communication and awareness campaigns, particularly for health-related issues such as mental health. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative survey data and qualitative interviews to assess changes in engagement rates and knowledge acquisition related to mental health issues. Engagement rates averaged 75% among participants who interacted with the campaign content, while a minority (10%) reported misinformation about mental health conditions. Knowledge acquisition showed significant improvement in themes such as early warning signs of depression and anxiety. The intervention highlighted the potential of social media for reaching urban youth on mental health awareness, though challenges persist regarding accurate information dissemination. Future campaigns should prioritise fact-checking mechanisms to mitigate misinformation and enhance educational content targeting specific demographic needs. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.