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The Science of Changing Behavioral Health Social Norms

Completed

Topics

The committee reviewed and discussed evidence on (1) the change in behavioral health norms needed to support individuals with mental and substance use disorders to seek treatment and other supportive services; (2) discrimination, negative attitudes, and stereotyping faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders; and (3) public knowledge about behavioral health, including how to seek help for people with such disorders.

About Past Events

Description

An ad hoc committee under the auspices of the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine will examine the evidence base on strategies to change social norms, beliefs, and attitudes related to mental and substance use disorders. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ) at SAMHSA will use the recommendations for strategic planning within an ongoing program of research in the area of social norms and communications practices and to inform the SAMHSA Office of Communication’s future activities to change behavioral health social norms.
The committee will review and discuss evidence on 1) the change in behavioral health norms needed to support individuals with mental and substance use disorders to seek treatment and other supportive services; 2) discrimination, negative attitudes, and stereotyping faced by individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders; and 3) public knowledge about behavioral health, including how to seek help for people with such disorders.
The committee will issue a final report with recommendations to address the above issues.

Contributors

Committee

Chair

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Staff Officer

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Conflict of Interest Disclosure

The proposed committee membership represents a balance among several relevant disciplines and areas of expertise, under the following categories:
NOTE: FACA 15 Requirement Waived

1) Social norms, beliefs, attitudes, and stigma;
2) Behavioral health (including subject areas such as mental and substance use disorders, treatment, and treatment seeking);
3) Health communication, health literacy, and strategic communications.

Within the category of health communications and strategic communications, the slate includes individuals with broad knowledge of media outreach to youth and other target populations, as well as more specific expertise with print media programs aimed specifically at reducing stigma concerning mental and substance use disorders.

Within the behavioral health category, the proposed slate includes individuals with expertise in mental health related to various minority populations as well as experience from within minority and other target populations; and those with experience in mental or substance use disorders as consumers, survivors, or family members. Nominations within these sensitive sub-categories came from experts in the field of mental health stigma and sponsors in addition to the standard sources.

Committee Membership Roster Comments

Vicki Rideout resigned from the committee

Sponsors

Department of Health and Human Services

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Staff

Lisa Vandemark

Lead

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