It’s not just what you say, but how you say it: African American college students’ perceptions of mental health messaging

Mental health (MH) service use can mitigate negative consequences of MH issues among African-American college students (AACS). However, this population is less likely to utilize services. Although targeted health messaging is cited to improve service use, there is a paucity of literature exploring AACS perceptions of MH messages to promote their utilization. This pilot study investigated how four MH messages were perceived by AACS, ages 18–29. Cognitive response testing interview techniques elicited participants’ thought processes related to MH promotion messages. Participants found targeted/metaphorical messages personally relevant and indicated they were more likely to share information from those messages with others.