transmedia storytelling for mental health stigma

Transmedia Storytelling for Mental Health Stigma Reduction

and Social Inclusion

Nedra Kline Weinreich

April 6-8, 2014 San Francisco, CA

Annual Conference on Youth + Tech + Health

@Nedra

Stories are powerful.

How do stories create change?

Stories grab people’s attention.

Stories make abstract concepts concrete and relevant.

Stories shape our understanding & interpretation of issues/events.

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Stories provide vicarious experiences.

Photo: Bryan Rosengrant

Stories create empathy for others.

Stories create or reinforce social norms.

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Transmedia Storytelling

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Immersive Engagement for Change =

Behavior Change Model + Good Storytelling + Ubiquitous Media +

Participatory Experience + Real World

1 in 4 will have a mental health issue

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Combating Misperceptions and Discrimination

Social Contact Works!

• Funded by US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Social Inclusion Grant

• Collaboration of Project Return Peer Support Network, the Painted Brain and Weinreich Communications

• Population: Students at California Conservation Corps High School in South Los Angeles

• Primarily low income, underserved, 18-24 years old

Living Our Stories – Transmedia Storytelling Project

• Students would receive training in media skills • Students would collaborate to create a cohesive

transmedia story related to mental health for their peers

• Students would incorporate their own stories with similar themes to the story

• Trained peers/group facilitators with lived experience of mental health challenges would work with the students to help them understand the issue

Program as Conceived

• Students at CCC high school are older and often have work/family obligations

• Two non-overlapping class cohort schedules

• Students not willing/interested in working on project outside of weekly meeting

• Major incentives required for participation • Low participation rate – 3-10

students/session, not always same week to week

Project Challenges

• Modular weekly activities – continuity not essential

• Improv, hip hop, art, haiku stencils • Thematic focus on students’ lives, related to

mental health issues, profiling, social inclusion • Incentivized story element production • Compilation of students’ own stories into an

overall transmedia experience

Current Program

• People telling their own real stories are powerful

• Participants make connections that you might not have considered

• Be flexible in adapting the original plan to what works

• Follow the participants’ preferences in terms of which media to use

• Incentives work!

Lessons Learned

Nedra Kline Weinreich

www.Social-Marketing.com weinreich@social-marketing.com

Twitter @Nedra