Promoting mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: the transtheoretical model of change and social marketing approach

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how social marketers can use the Transtheoretical Model of Change to enhance their web-based campaigns promoting mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Transtheoretical Model of Change was adapted and applied in a COVID-19 mental health context and qualitative content analysis was conducted on 20 websites promoting mental health during the Pandemic from all around the world. Results show that campaigns vary in terms of their adherence to the Transtheoretical Model of Change. Some are very consistent, whereas others could benefit from incorporating specific relevant information. Particularly, the maintenance stage of change has been ignored by most websites analyzed. Designers of such campaigns could use this paper for inspiration, to check for the completeness of their websites, and to adapt their messages while the situation unfolds and individuals move from one stage of change to the next. Incorporating knowledge from a widely used and effective theoretical model is likely to make websites more successful in helping individuals maintain their mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic.