This report examines the potential impact of the California Mental Health Services Authority's stigma and discrimination reduction social marketing campaign on the use of adult behavioral health services, and it estimates the benefit-cost ratios.

Cover: Investment in Social Marketing Campaign to Reduce Stigma and Discrimination Associated with Mental Illness Yields Positive Economic Benefits to California
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Investment in Social Marketing Campaign to Reduce Stigma and Discrimination Associated with Mental Illness Yields Positive Economic Benefits to California

by J. Scott Ashwood, Brian Briscombe, Rebecca L. Collins, Eunice C. Wong, Nicole K. Eberhart, Jennifer L. Cerully, Libby May, Elizabeth Roth, M. Audrey Burnam

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Research Questions

  1. Did CalMHSA's social marketing campaign to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness affect use of behavioral health services among adults in California?
  2. How did increased service use affect the future productivity of the target audience?
  3. What is the ratio of benefits to costs for CalMHSA's initiative?

This report examines the potential impact of the California Mental Health Services Authority's stigma and discrimination reduction social marketing campaign on the use of adult behavioral health services, and it estimates the benefit-cost ratios.

Key Findings

  • The statewide campaign to reduce stigma and discrimination is associated with more adults using behavioral health services.
  • Using these services is associated with increased productivity and employment.
  • Increased productivity and employment may have substantial economic benefits over several decades: $1,251 to the state as a whole for each $1 invested in the social marketing campaign, and $36 in benefits to the state government for each $1 invested.

This research was conducted in RAND Health, a division of the RAND Corporation.

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