[Effects of a TV mental health campaign 1992]

A 1992 one-Sunday fund-raising TV-show was broadcasted by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. The six-hour TV-show included information on mental health intermingled with entertainment and money-counting results. The mass media had covered the forthcoming TV-show extensively. The campaign has been evaluated through a stratified random sample of the population who were questioned before (n = 1,191) and after (n = 644) the campaign. Almost 94% were aware of the campaign and more than 60% watched the campaign day TV-show. Nearly 70% had read about psychiatric disorders and 45% had discussed the campaign topic with others. The proportion who were aware that suicide takes more lives than traffic accidents, and the proportion with an open attitude to mental illness had increased significantly after the campaign (p < 0.001). After the campaign, a higher proportion would recommend a person with a minor mental disorder to visit a general practitioner (p < 0.001). Through its penetrating effect the Norwegian Mental Health Campaign put mental health issues on the cultural agenda, and succeeded in changing people's knowledge and attitudes.