If you were on social media on January 28, you probably would’ve noticed it was Bell Let’s Talk day. For each phone call or text on the Bell network, as well as each share and tweet with #bellletstalk, Bell promised to donate 5 cents to mental health initiatives in Canada. This year, they raised a total of $6,107,538.60. The donations are all part of a campaign by Bell, started in 2011. Along with Let’s Talk day, the campaign includes donating to current mental health organizations, investing in research, incorporating a standard for psychological health in the workplace for their own employees, and providing grants to new mental health initiatives. Overall, the campaign aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental health by encouraging national conversation about it and to improve the services dedicated to the mentally ill through donations.
The question is, do they actually achieve that?
Critics of Bell Let’s Talk Day say that the day is less about mental health and more about Bell, citing the use of Bell’s brand in the hashtag (#bellletstalk), as well as the use of news networks they own (such as CTV) to promote their campaign. According to Bell, on Wednesday, there were 122,150,772 overall interactions about mental health. Though, a good portion of those may have been just general positive statements about the campaign, or people spamming the hashtag to increase the donations. While it was done with good intentions, it misses the point of the campaign – to start a conversation about mental health. Even our Prime Minister tweeted on Bell Let’s Talk day, in support of mental health; though as a blogger on Huffington post pointed out, he has done little to actually improve the issue in his time as prime minister, even when he had the opportunity. Political issues aside, it raises the question of whether people are actually learning anything when they support the campaign.
That said, reducing stigma and educating people is not something that will happen quickly or easily. Bell does at least increase exposure to an issue that was once in the dark. According to the CEO of CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association), Peter Coleridge (talking to Marketing magazine), “Let’s Talk – in combination with other programs – has had a discernible impact on raising both public and government awareness of a problem that causes as many as 500,000 Canadians to miss work on any given day and costs the Canadian economy an estimated $50 billion a year in lost productivity.” If you look at the Bell Let’s Talk website, there are several resources listed there that provide information and help for people with mental illnesses. Finally, the money is being spread out all over Canada to support various initiatives. For example, even right here in Waterloo, Bell donated money to the regional suicide prevention council last year.
In effect, the campaign has accomplished some of what it set out to do. The shares on social media have the power to show people that they are neither alone nor without support if they suffer from mental illness (a sentiment that is expressed many times on Twitter and Tumblr if you search). Plus, over the five years that Bell has run the campaign, they have raised $73.6 million to support mental health programs all over Canada. Undoubtedly, there is still a long way to go to end the stigma around mental illness and put in the necessary support systems to prevent and treat it. What’s really important now is that Canadians continue the conversation and start to educate themselves about mental illness outside of Let’s Talk day.
As a start, here are some organizations that provide help and information every day:
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CMHA (cmha.ca, or in Waterloo – http://wwd.cmha.ca/)
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Kids Help Phone (kidshelpphone.ca)
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Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (camh.ca)
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Here247.ca for addictions, mental health and crisis services
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Mental health helpline in Waterloo : http://www.mentalhealthhelpline.ca/Directory/Organization/1819
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University of Waterloo Health Services: (https://uwaterloo.ca/health-services/mental-health-services)
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They have workshops too: https://uwaterloo.ca/counselling-services/workshops
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