Students taking Public Relations Campaigns at Western Carolina University have developed a “Stigma Hurts, Empathy Heals” campaign to increase empathy and reduce the negative stigma around mental illness.
COMM 460 Public Relations Campaigns is the capstone course in the communication department for the public relations concentration. It is team-taught this semester by Betty Farmer, professor of communication, and Scott Eldredge, professor and department head of communication. The course helps students build professional skills by partnering with a client throughout the semester.
The class will host a tabling event to promote their campaign on Wednesday, April 22, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the WCU Central Plaza. This event is open to the public and community members.
“Negative stereotypes about mental illness shut down conversations, inhibit students from seeking help, and impact the WCU culture,” said Kim Gorman, associate vice chancellor for Health and Wellness at WCU. “We are excited to have a proactive, student-voiced campaign that changes the conversation around mental illness stigma and contributes to a more inclusive campus.”
Since January, three teams of four students in the COMM 460 Public Relations Campaigns course have been working with Gorman and Kathleen Brennan, professor and director of Sociology at Western. Gorman and Brennan have researched the negative impacts of mental illness stigma on college campuses.
The tabling event will allow students to learn how to properly support their peers without feeding into mental illness stigma. Individuals will interact at the table and can share their experiences, participate in language-swapping exercises, receive educational resources and improve empathetic behaviors.
The campaign also includes a “Support Starts with You” portion, which targets resident assistants, first-year students and faculty. The students planning the campaign will utilize Instagram Reels, infographics highlighting the types of mental illness stigma on campus and a presentation designed for faculty to share with their students.
Additionally, students in the class have organized a “Stick it to Stigma” activity, which encourages individuals to be open about their experiences with mental illness stigma and overcome its negative impacts through sharing stories and empathizing with others.
The “Empathize Don’t Stigmatize” approach aims to reduce stigmatizing language on the campus at Western. Campaigns students will use student testimonials, videos and educational resources.
By creating an opportunity to share these experiences, individuals who have experienced mental illness stigma can take part in community activities. The aim is to better the general understanding of stigma, its negative impacts and how to better show empathy.