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Smartphones that support mental health. By Ann Mitchell

There are more mobile phones in the world than people and 6.84 billion are smartphones. Some believe that digital media could even be responsible for the global rise in mental health issues. Is it possible that they could be used to improve and promote community mental health programmes? That was the question addressed by an innovative research project in Guyana.

The South America country was chosen because it reflected a wide mix of cultures from a rural indigenous community to one affected by economic loss.  The project used a combination of art and technology to create digital stories that can then be shared with others. Storytelling has been a cultural tool since humans have been able to communicate verbally and visually. It has been used to promote social networks, bring communities together and create a communal sense of wellbeing and support. Bringing that into the digital age seemed a perfectly logical step to take.

Could the use of mobile phones linked to a local internet network help communities and individuals face their struggles and difficulties through digital storytelling?

The simple answer is YES but this is how we did it. When a person is creating a digital story certain steps need to be followed. This is in order to produce a story that sets the scene and introduces the challenges faced in their daily life. It involves the person identifying the story along with a story board leading to a creation of a 3- to 5-min video using a mobile phone.

This story telling method enables individuals to focus on their positive resilient experiences using photos, drawings and texts to deal with the issues encountered in daily life. In addition, within and, without a community these stories can be readily shared with others.

Would you like to start a discussion around how digital storytelling can be used to promote mental health resiliency? Read on…

Mitchell, H. A., Waights, V., & Hart, T. (2024). Digital storytelling within a community-based mental health improvement programme (ARCLIGHT) in Guyana. Action Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14767503241296717

For further information: contact

helena@mentalhealthresourceshub.com or ann.mitchell@open.ac.uk