Customer Experience

Digital signage addresses mental health during COVID-19

The mental health crisis has only gotten worse during COVID-19, and many people don't know how to address mental health issues with their loved ones. Suicide prevention charity R U OK Day aimed to help address this with a VR digital signage campaign.

Photo: provided

September 18, 2020 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

In the U.S., upwards of 46.4% of adults will experience mental illness during their lifetime, according to a story by Mental Health First Aid. COVID-19 has not made this any easier for those both struggling with mental illnesses and dealing with other major life issues.

Despite this fact, many people do not know how to address or discuss mental health issues with their loved ones and friends. Suicide prevention charity R U OK Day aimed to help address this with a VR digital signage campaign.

The charity partnered with JCDecaux Australia, a subsidiary of outdoor advertiser JCDecaux, to craft a campaign in Sydney, Australia, which focused on the critical question, "R U OK?"

The campaign featured a display with a question that said, "Hi I'm listening. Ask me R U OK?" Users could stand on two footprints right next to the display to ask this question, according to a video by JCDecaux. However, when users did ask this question, a voice spoke back and said, "No, I'm not okay."

"When the panel told me no, I was a little bit thrown and I didn't know what to do next," a user said in the video.

After this, the display asked another question, "Do you know what to say next?" with "yes" or "no" as options. It would then ask users further questions such as providing them potential things to say in response to "I'm not okay," and then asking them which one is best, such as a supportive statement or a dismissive one.

When users selected more supportive statements such as, "That sounds tough, do you wanna talk about it?" the display would give the user positive feedback.

After completing the survey, the display would dispense a small card from R U OK Day with additional information on how to have these conversations.

You can see the campaign in action in the video below.

About Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is the editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. He was previously the editor of Digital Signage Today. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing.

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