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Abstract

This study examines Fortune 500 companies’ mental health-related Facebook posts during Mental Health Awareness Month from a CSR perspective. Analyzing 6,264 posts revealed low engagement (1.84%), with half of the posts aligning with WHO-recommended content areas. Posts spanned all CSR typologies, employing diverse information strategies but limited dialogic communication. Despite low engagement, audiences responded positively, particularly to posts on public health, employee involvement, mental health promotion, and human rights. Hyperlinks, graphics, and multimedia boosted interaction and emotional resonance. Findings deepen understanding of effective health-related CSR communication and offer insights into authentic and empathetic CSR strategies for communication training.

Keywords

corporate social responsibility (CSR)CSR communication mental health communication social media communication content analysis

Although the literature has suggested social media might be partly responsible for mental health problems (Coyne et al., 2020; Silva et al., 2020; Valkenburg et al., 2022), recent studies have begun to explore the role they can play in improving mental health (Meier & Reinecke, 2021; Naslund et al., 2020). These newer insights highlight social media’s instrumental role in enhancing mental health awareness and fostering open discussion. Compared to traditional media discourse on mental health, social media discourse is more encouraging, generating a positive connotation for this global concern (Pavlova & Bekers, 2022). It increases awareness of mental health issues among the public (Latha et al., 2020; Saha et al., 2019), neutralizes stigmas associated with mental illness (Douglass & Moy, 2019), provides resources to people with mental health concerns (Jia et al., 2024; Naslund et al., 2020), and fosters a supportive and inclusive online community for such discussion (Francis, 2021; Naslund et al., 2016).

To harness the potential of social media in combating mental health issues, many entities—including governments, NGOs, and health professionals—have tried to create conversations on social media to engage a sympathetic public and generate a positive impact. These discussions focus on mental health awareness, stigma reduction, symptoms and treatments, and personal feelings and stories (Jia et al., 2024; Ju et al., 2023; Motta et al., 2024), among other concerns. However, the role of corporations is often overlooked. While recent research has started to emphasize the profound influence corporations have in shaping mental health discourse on social media (Pavlova & Berkers, 2022), there is still limited understanding of how businesses support mental health through their communication. To narrow this gap, our study adopts a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective, proposing that such engagement is a vital aspect of CSR and that effective corporate communication about mental health can greatly benefit both society and companies. To this end, using the dual CSR communication model (Du et al., 2010), we examined the content and communication strategies of Facebook messages from corporations addressing mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM). Additionally, we analyzed the relations, between various content and communication features and audience behavioral (e.g., likes, comments) and emotional responses (e.g., love, wow, sad, angry).

Our research makes several contributions. First, it provides one of the first empirical understandings of corporate mental health communication from a CSR perspective, expanding CSR communication literature and offering foundational insights for corporations wishing to address mental health topics. Second, this article contributes to the dual CSR communication model (Du et al., 2010) by identifying content and communication strategy variables that resonate with audiences, thereby extending the model’s application to effective engagement with social media audiences. Third, we demonstrate that the same content or communication strategy can elicit different behavioral and emotional responses online by testing various post features with different engagement variables, providing a nuanced understanding of corporate communication and audience engagement mechanism. Finally, our findings offer value to training programs and corporate communication efforts focused on effective CSR communication (Rossetti & Van Waes, 2022), serving as a valuable teaching resource, particularly concerning mental health discussions on social media.

Literature Review

Mental Health as a Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is defined as the ongoing commitment of business to behave ethically and contribute, not merely to its own economic development, but to the quality of life of its employees, their families, the community, and society at large (Carroll, 1979; Falck & Heblich, 2007; Maignan & Ferrell, 2004). Engaging in CSR activities yields social and financial returns. Through CSR engagement, companies can establish brand recognition and a stronger reputation (Abid et al., 2019), generate favorable stakeholder attitudes, better support critical social and interpersonal behavior (Du et al., 2010; Luo & Bhattacharya, 2006), strengthen stakeholder-company relationships (Lim & Greenwood, 2017; Sen et al., 2006), and enhance stakeholder advocacy (Pai et al., 2015).

To harness its social benefits and contribute to the broader society, companies engage in a broad range of CSR initiatives. These include sustainable sourcing, energy efficiency, support for local education, and healthcare services. CSR initiatives also can involve diversity and inclusion programs to foster a more equitable workplace. To categorize CSR initiatives, Kim et al. (2014) introduced a typology: environmental stewardship, philanthropic contributions, educational commitments, employee involvement, diversity and inclusion, and public health initiatives. These categories provide a comprehensive framework in CSR studies, allowing scholars to analyze corporate contributions to social welfare across different sectors and domains (Cho et al., 2017; Kucukusta et al., 2019; Yang & Basile, 2022).

When selecting CSR initiatives, companies often consider stakeholder perspectives to ensure alignment between the initiative and their practices and core values, creating a cohesive fit between the company’s identity and its CSR (Aksak et al., 2016; De Jong & van der Meer, 2017). Today, mental health has emerged as a major concern for most publics (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023) and, therefore, should align with many companies’ values. Studies have highlighted workplace burnout as a significant predictor of adverse health outcomes, including depressive symptoms and hospitalization due to mental disorders (Salvagioni et al., 2017). This trend emphasizes the importance of corporations addressing mental health as part of their social responsibility. Furthermore, the latest Edelman Trust Barometer reports (2024) indicate that businesses have become the most trusted source of information, surpassing NGOs and government entities, particularly concerning health information. Leveraging their innovative capabilities and high levels of public trust, corporations play a pivotal role in combating the mental health crisis. They not only bear responsibility but also possess the credibility needed to lead initiatives that address mental health concerns.

An increasing number of companies are incorporating it into their CSR frameworks. For instance, Bell Canada’s “Bell Let’s Talk” campaign has reduced stigma and enhanced mental health awareness, showcasing the significant impact corporate initiatives can have on public discourse (Vido, 2019). Similarly, Starbucks has introduced mental health benefits for its employees, including access to free therapy (Pfeffer & Williams, 2020), illustrating practical steps supporting employee mental and emotional well-being. These examples not only underscore the evolving scope of corporate CSR but reflect better recognition of their role in fostering healthier communities. Integrating mental health into CSR benefits employees and society at large, enhances corporate reputations, employee satisfaction, and productivity (Du et al., 2010; Lim & Greenwood 2017). These efforts highlight the compelling case for including mental health as an integral part of CSR, encouraging a shift toward more holistic approaches, those that address both physical and mental well-being.

Mental Health and CSR Communication

Equally important to engagement with CSR is how companies communicate these efforts (Chaudhri, 2016; Dong et al., 2024). Effective CSR communication should not only raise awareness but generate favorable perceptions of the company and its initiatives (Du et al., 2010). However, communication about mental health as a CSR activity has often been poorly received (Cision, 2023). Such challenges are deeply entwined with broader issues, including public skepticism that these initiatives are mere marketing strategies, not genuine efforts to contribute to society (Lauriano et al., 2022). Another issue is overcommunication, in which companies risk overstating achievements, leading to increased skepticism. Additionally, a lot of CSR communication, especially CSR reports, adopt a one-way approach that delivers information without engagement or dialogue. This approach can lead to reduced audience engagement, diminished trust, and missed opportunities for feedback that could improve CSR (Crane & Glozer, 2016; Verk et al., 2021).

Aiming to generate favorable attitudes towards the company and its CSR efforts―to address these challenges and enhance the effectiveness of CSR communication―Du et al. (2010) proposed a conceptual framework that examines this communication through the lenses of communication content and communication channels. Communication content refers to the actual messages and information conveyed through CSR communication (Du et al., 2010). This includes themes, narratives, and details about CSR initiatives, such as what the company is doing, why, and its impact. On the other hand, communication channels are the various media and platforms that disseminate CSR messages (Du et al., 2010). This can include traditional media, such as television, radio, and print, as well as digital channels like social media. This framework offers a comprehensive approach to understanding and enhancing the impact of CSR initiatives on stakeholder perceptions. Adapting this framework, this study examines CSR mental health communication from Fortune 500 companies on social media during MHAM. This period was chosen because social media conversations related to mental health are most active during MHAM (Makita et al., 2021), and companies often recognize national observances as part of their CSR strategies (Kim et al., 2014). Given the lack of prior research in this area, this study adopts an exploratory approach.

We first examine the information about CSR mental health communication and the specific topic of such communication using Kim et al.’s (2014) typology. Our first research question (RQ) is:

RQ 1: How do Fortune 500 companies discuss mental health—in the context of CSR—during MHAM? Specifically:

RQ1a: How frequently do these companies have these discussions?

RQ1b: Which industries involve in these discussions?

RQ1c: When engaging with these discussions, which CSR topic frame (Kim et al., 2014) is employed?

CSR Communication Content and Mental Health Communication

A specific challenge posed by CSR mental health communication is the delicacy required in discussing this topic. Discussions around mental health are often charged with high emotion. It can easily be associated with emotional baggage and stigma (Budenz et al., 2020). Improper communication could exacerbate these challenges and potentially harm the very communities that companies aim to support. Therefore, implementing specific guidelines for mental health communication is crucial when companies engage with such topics in CSR. This study turns to the WHO for guidance on CSR mental health communication content.

According to the WHO (2021), health is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (p. 2). As a vital aspect of overall well-being, mental health is fundamental to societal functioning and warrants a prioritized attention (United Nations, 2020). The WHO highlights the severe impact of mental illness, with depression the leading cause of disability worldwide. Additionally, the economic impacts are significant, depression and anxiety contributing to over $1 trillion in annual corporate losses (United Nations, 2020). In response to this critical challenge, the WHO has initiated its Comprehensive Action Plan 2013-2030 (WHO, 2021). It advocates for strategies focused on the promotion of mental well-being, provision of care for mental disorders, and the underrecognized practice of human rights within this domain.

Aligned with the strategic visions outlined in this Action Plan, we have identified three core areas of focus for mental health communication. The first area, mental health promotion, involves comprehensive initiatives to improve the mental wellness of individuals and communities. This approach includes providing recommendations for self-care, equipping people with tools to better understand their mental health conditions, and advocating for the recognition of mental health’s importance (e.g., Jia et al., 2024; Thaivalappil et al., 2023). By prioritizing preventive strategies, mental health promotion not only aims to reduce the strain on healthcare systems but fosters the development of stronger, more resilient communities (WHO, 2021).

The second area focuses on mental illnesses and support. It encompasses a broad spectrum of disorders, both general and specific. Efforts in this domain are multifaceted, involving the dissemination of data and statistics related to mental health, information on available care and treatment options, and personal narratives to foster community and social support (Francis, 2021; Ju et al., 2023). These messages aim to enhance people’s capacity to function effectively, access timely and appropriate treatment, and improve their quality of life.

The last topic centers on the practice and advocacy of human rights. Research has consistently highlighted social stigma as a significant barrier preventing people from accessing mental health care (Cheng et al., 2018; Crowe et al., 2018). Given a pervasive stigma often associated with mental illness (Hinshaw & Stier, 2008), it is crucial to emphasize that individuals experiencing mental health disorders are entitled to a full range of human rights, including the right to participate in social, political and cultural activities without stigma or discrimination (WHO, 2021). Promoting counterstigma awareness should help dismantle misconceptions and fears surrounding mental disorders, thereby cultivating a society that values inclusion and compassion. To assess how these content areas are addressed in CSR communication, we posed this second question:

RQ 2: How are the three recommended content areas covered in CSR mental health communication from these Fortune 500 companies?

CSR Communication Channel and Dialogic Strategies

Communication channels are the second component of Du et al.’s (2010) model. This study focuses on the channel of social media. With its interactive nature and capacity for two-way communication, social media holds significant potential to overcome challenges commonly associated with CSR communication. Its capacity to engage an audience in a feedback-oriented dialogue has led to its recent adoption as a crucial tool for CSR communication (Kent & Li, 2020; Kent & Taylor, 2016). This channel not only facilitates direct interactions between companies and their stakeholders but also promotes a more dynamic and engaging exchange of information (Wang et al., 2021). However, in practice, it is often used only one way, failing to explore two-way communication and audience engagement (Cho et al., 2017; Kent & Taylor, 2016). Enhancing this process should lead to greater trust and a more favorable attitude toward CSR communication.

To provide guidelines for effectively using digital platforms to communicate with stakeholders, Kent and Taylor (1998) suggested the digital dialogical communication model, grounded in the theory of dialogue. This framework comprises five principles of dialogic communication: dialogic loop, usefulness of information, return visits, ease of interface, and conservation of visitors (Kent & Taylor, 1998). Among these, the usefulness of information and the dialogic loop are particularly relevant to CSR social media communication (Wang & Yang, 2020). Information usefulness suggests that posts should be relevant, timely, and tailored to audience interests. The dialogical loop, on the other hand, supports digital communication that enables the public to pose questions to organizations and allow them to respond. This form of communication can be facilitated by posing questions in messages or by responding to audience queries in posts or comments.

To understand the effectiveness of these communication methods conveying CSR mental health messages, we proposed the third question:

RQ 3: How are the strategies of the dialogic loop and information usefulness employed in CSR mental health communication from Fortune 500 companies?

Audience Engagement and Mental Health CSR Communication

CSR communication must resonate with the audience for a greater societal good (Cho et al., 2017; Love et al., 2022) and contribute to the corporation’s reputation. To look at using interactive social media platforms, this study evaluates audience engagement to assess the effectiveness of these messages. Traditionally, audience engagement is measured by likes, reposts, and comments, each signaling a different level of interaction (Dhanesh, 2017; Men & Tsai, 2014). Likes represent the most basic and low-effort form of engagement, serving as a simple endorsement. They do not necessarily imply deep engagement or strong opinion. Comments, on the other hand, require more effort and provide insights into the audience’s feelings and attitudes about the discussed issue. They compel the audience to articulate its response to the message (Cho et al., 2017; Jiang et al., 2015). Lastly, reposts or shares represent the highest level of engagement. They not only endorse but signal audience willingness to engage publicly with the issue and spread it in their networks (Kim et al., 2014).

Studies have explored the relations among given variables in mental health communication (e.g., Jia et al., 2024; Madden et al., 2024), CSR communication (e.g., Chu et al., 2020; Ju et al., 2023), and audience engagement. However, criticism has arisen regarding the simplification of audience interaction mechanisms (Farhat et al., 2021; Men & Tsai, 2013), suggesting they miss an opportunity to uncover more nuanced information. In response, this study extends prior research by examining relations between CSR mental health messaging and audience engagement, with an added focus on the emotional responses of the audience, positive or negative. This nuanced approach is crucial for two primary reasons. First, it transcends traditional metrics such as likes, comments, and reposts, advancing our understanding of social media communication mechanisms. Second, emotional responses play a critical role in mental health communication. Positive emotions, in particular, should foster favorable attitudes and behaviors that address and potentially remedy mental health issues (Reynolds et al., 2017; Zion et al., 2022). Given these considerations, our fourth question is as follows:

RQ 4: To what extent are audience engagement and their emotional responses associated with CSR mental health communication from Fortune 500 companies?

Method

Data Collection and Screening

We collected Facebook messages from Fortune 500 companies during MHAM in May 2023. Facebook was chosen because it allows multiple forms of messages, including texts, videos, and pictures, without limiting word count. Additionally, because of the controversy surrounding Twitter (now X), many companies have suspended their use of that platform but have maintained Facebook communication during the time of data collection. Last, Facebook provides users a way to indicate emotional feedback by responding with emojis. The period of MHAM was selected because of the heightened activity of relevant social media conversations (Makita et al., 2021) and the company’s practice to recognize such occasions in their CSR communication (Kim et al., 2014). Fortune 500 companies were specifically chosen because they are more likely to report CSR activities extensively (Ju et al., 2021; KPMG, 2011).

A total of 6,264 messages posted by Fortune 500 companies during May 2023 were downloaded, along with the engagement data, including emotional responses. Subsequently, the data were screened for posts explicitly containing the keyword mental health. Then, the data were reviewed again to include posts that might pertain to mental health without using the keyword, such as those mentioning mental well-being. After this screening, only 115 posts were deemed relevant, constituting a surprisingly low percentage (1.84%) of the data set. The entire data set (N = 6,264) was coded for industry type and mentions of mental health to gain an understanding of the basic information. Since relevant messages comprised such a small percentage of the database, we also record significant days, weeks, and months in other messages to investigate competing interests during MHAM. Please see the list of ceremonial observances and industries in Appendix A.

Mental Health CSR Communication Codebook and Intercoder Reliability

To analyze the 115 relevant posts, a codebook was developed inductively based on the literature (Appendix B). First, the posts were coded to identify which CSR topic framings were used to discuss mental health, such as environmental stewardship, philanthropic contributions, educational commitment, employee involvement, community engagement, and public commitment (Kim et al., 2014). Second, the content of the messages was assessed according to guidelines derived from the WHO (2021) Action Plan, specifically, their focus on mental health promotion, mental illness and support, or human rights. Additionally, message strategies were analyzed by focusing on the use of a dialogic loop and information usefulness―features pertinent to social media communication (Wang & Yang, 2020). Information usefulness was operationalized as the inclusion of audio/video elements, hyperlinks, or graphics, while the dialogic loop was determined by whether the message included a question or if a comment received a response (Rybalko & Seltzer, 2010; Watkins & Lewis, 2014). In addition, we also coded the industry of the companies engaged with a mental health topic as traditional sector, service sector, and high-tech sector (Zhou, 2021).

Two rounds of intercoder reliability tests of 20% of the data set, with 10% for each round, were conducted to reach a satisfactory degree of intercoder reliability (Krippendorff, 2018; Table 1). Following this successful evaluation, the researchers divided the remainder of the data and completed the coding process independently.

Table 1.

Intercoder Reliability and Frequency of Each Coding Variable.

Coding variable	Percentage of agreement	Krippendorff alpha	Frequency (percentage)
Industry type	90.0	0.77
Traditional			15 (13)
High tech			7 (6)
Service			93 (81)
CSR topic
Environmental stewardship	100	1	1 (0.9)
Philanthropic contribution	92.3	0.85	16 (13.9)
Educational commitments	84.6	0.70	58 (50.4)
Employee involvement	92.3	0.85	37 (32.2)
Community engagement	92.3	0.69	6 (5.2)
Public health commitment	92.3	0.76	16 (13.9)
WHO recommended content
MH promotion	90	0.75	49 (42.6)
Mental illnesses and support	92.3	0.63	14 (12.2)
Human Rights	100	1	18 (15.7)
Usefulness of information
Use of audio/video	100	1	27 (23.5)
Use of hyperlink	100	1	84 (73)
Use of image	100	1	81 (70.4)
Dialogic loop	100	1
Asked a question in the post	100	1	15 (13)
Responded to comments	100	1	11 (9.6)

Results

Data were aggregated and submitted for descriptive statistical analysis for RQ1-3, and ANOVAs were conducted to answer RQ4. Frequencies and percentages of each variable are reported in Table 1.

Mental Health CSR Communication Content and Strategies

RQ1 explored basic information of CSR mental health communication and how mental health was addressed within the CSR framing. The engagement with mental health–relevant communication was extremely low (RQ1a), with only 115 messages (1.84%) among the overall 6264 messages mentioning mental health. Among the Fortune 500, the number of companies that have engaged in discussions about mental health at least once (n = 74, 14.8%) is significantly lower than those that have not posted any relevant content (n = 426, 85.2%): χ²(1) = 247.8, p < .001. The industries most actively sharing information on mental health include healthcare, insurance, and pharmaceuticals (RQ1b). An analysis of 115 posts reveals that the frequency of industries posting this topic was significantly different: χ²(2) = 117.88, p < .001. Fifteen originated from traditional industries, seven from high-tech corporations, and the majority, 93, from the service sector (Zhou, 2021). It is noteworthy that of the 6,264 posts made in May, 1,037 (16.6%) referred to other observances, such as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month (n = 259, 4.12%), Memorial Day (n = 187, 3.00%), and Mother’s Day (n = 162, 2.59%), among others.

Regarding the CSR topic, the findings indicate that almost all posts (n = 110) covered at least one topic, with 88 employing one and 22 using two or more (RQ1c). The most prevalent discussion centered on educational commitments, with 58 posts (50.4%) providing resources and information pertinent to mental health or related disorders. Employee involvement, featured in 37 posts (32.2%), included initiatives enhancing employees’ mental well-being. Philanthropic contributions and public health commitments appeared in 16 posts each (13.9%), referring to charitable efforts such as scholarships, donations, and research grants, and organizational commitments to public mental health, respectively. Topic frames of community engagement and environmental stewardship were less frequently covered, with only six posts (5.2%) involving local community cooperation and a single post (0.9%) addressing environmental actions that affect mental health issues.

RQ2 examined how mental health content aligns with the recommended content of WHO’s Action Plan. Among the 115 posts, 68 (59.1%) engaged with one or more types of recommended content. A little less than half of the posts (n = 49, or 42.6%) focused on mental health promotion, offering comprehensive information to protect and enhance mental well-being through various strategies and programs. Another 14 posts (12.2%) provided information about various mental illnesses classified under ICD-10 (National Center for Health Statistics, 2024), including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, providing insights into these illnesses, along with treatments and care options. Additionally, 18 posts (15.7%) highlighted human rights issues, discussing topics related to anti-discrimination and the de-stigmatization of mental disorders.

RQ3 investigated strategies used to improve the effectiveness of CSR mental health communication, focusing on information usefulness and the dialogic loop to facilitate two-way communication. Regarding information usefulness, every post used at least one multimedia material: 31 posts (27%) used a video/audio, external link, or graphic, while the remaining posts used multiples of them. The analysis identified 27 posts (23.5%) that used audio or video, 84 (73%) that included hyperlinks, and 81 (70.4%) that featured graphics. Concerning the dialogic loop, only 15 posts (13%) incorporated a question in its original content to engage the audience, and only 11 posts (9.6%) responded to comments from users.

Mental Health CSR Communication and Audience Engagement

RQ4 examined the association between the content and communication strategies discussed above and audience engagement, including their emotional responses. In total, mental health CSR Facebook messages (n = 115) generated 2,326 likes (M = 20.25, SD = 33.77), 720 comments (M = 6.27, SD = 13.85), and 480 shares (M = 4.14, SD = 6.41). Emotional responses were calculated by averaging the positive (love, wow, ha-ha [laughing], care) and negative (sad, angry) feedback received by each post (Sturm Wilkerson et al., 2021). On average, these messages produced a positive score of 93.25 (M = 0.80, SD = 1.46) and a negative score of 19.50 (M = 0.17, SD = 0.52). We performed separate analyses of variance (ANOVA) for each dependent variable—likes, comments, shares, as well as positive and negative emotions—to evaluate differences. We used a predominant significance level of .01 for all analyses. Since all analyses assumed that the dependent variables were normally distributed, a logarithmic transformation was applied to address positive skewness in all five variables. Specifically, we used a natural logarithmic transformation for likes, comments, shares, and positive and negative emotional responses. This transformation compressed high values and expanded low ones, reducing the skewed distribution and resulting in a more compact, normalized distribution. Additionally, it helped stabilize variance and prevented the influence of a few extreme values from distorting representative measures such as the mean and standard deviation (Mai & Mirarab, 2021). To account for instances where zero occurred in the data, we added 1 to all values prior to the transformation, ensuring all data points were positive.

Before diving into RQ4, we believe it is beneficial to understand the overall sentiment of these mental health CSR messages. Therefore, we performed a paired samples t test to compare the log-transformed positive and negative emotional responses. The results showed a significant difference in the scores for positive responses (M = 0.43, SD = 0.50) and negative responses (M = 0.11, SD = 0.27), t(115) = 6.96, p < .001, indicating a general positive emotional reaction toward these posts.

The impact of six CSR communication frames were analyzed first. Posts focusing on public health commitment garnered significantly higher engagement—evidenced by likes (M_likes = 2.89 ± 0.66), comments (M_comments = 1.60 ± 1.03), and shares (M_shares = 1.51 ± 1.01)—compared to those that did not (M_likes = 2.44 ± 1.01, M_comments = 1.05 ± 1.19, M_shares = 1.07 ± 0.96). Messages about employee involvement elicited more positive (M_positive = 1.19 ± 1.16) responses than those without such involvement (M_positive = 0.84 ± 0.73). The remaining three CSR frames did not show any differences in audience engagement. In content aligned with recommendations from WHO guidelines, posts addressing mental health promotion (M_shares = 1.38 ± 0.92) and human rights issues (M_shares = 0.76 ± 0.69) were more frequently shared than those that did not highlight these topics (M_share = 0.94 ± 0.97 for no promotion of mental health, M_shares = 1.20 ± 1.00 for no human rights).

The findings also reveal differences in engagement and emotional responses based on different communication strategies. Posts incorporating hyperlinks (M_likes = 2.61 ± 0.96, M_comments = 1.29 ± 1.25, M_shares = 1.27 ± 0.98) achieved significantly higher engagement than those without (M_likes = 2.20 ± 0.98, M_comments = 0.70 ± 0.83, M_shares = 0.75 ± 0.86). However, these posts also attracted higher levels of negative emotional feedback (M_negative = 0.21 ± 0.47) than the others (M_negative = 0.04 ± 0.17). Conversely, messages featuring graphics (M_positive = 1.19 ± 0.62) and audio/video content (M_positive = 1.21 ± 0.97) consistently elicited stronger positive emotional responses than those lacking these elements. Furthermore, posts designed to engage the audience with questions enhanced interaction, receiving more audience engagement (M_likes = 2.60 ± 0.97, M_comments = 1.21 ± 1.20, M_shares = 1.23 ± 0.98) and positive feedback (M_positive = 1.03 ± 0.91) than those that did not. Similarly, posts responding to comments had higher engagement metrics (M_likes = 3.01 ± 0.85, M_comments = 3.04 ± 0.92, M_shares = 1.81 ± 0.88) and positive emotional reactions (M_positive = 1.51 ± 1.06) than did others. However, this strategy also tended to provoke more negative emotions (M_negative = 0.63 ± 0.81), compared to those that did not respond to comments (M_negative = 0.12 ± 0.31). Please see the main effects of the independent variables in ANOVAs summarized in Tables 2 and 3.

Table 2.

Main Effects of the Independent Variables in ANOVAs: Likes, Comments, and Shares.

	Likes	Comments	Shares
CSR: Public Health Commitment	F(1, 114) = 3.00, MSE = 0.97, p < .1, η_p² = 0.26	F(1, 114) = 3.09, MSE = 1.17, p < .1, η_p² = 0.31	F(1, 114) = 2.84, MSE = 0.96, p < .1, η_p² = 0.26
MH Content: MH Promotion			F(1, 114) = 6.02, MSE = 0.95, p < .1, η_p² = 0.18
MH Content: Human Rights			F(1, 114) = 3.10, MSE = 0.96, p < .1, η_p² = 0.25
Usefulness of Information-Hyperlink	F(1, 114) = 4.22, MSE = 0.97, p < .1, η_p² = 0.20	F(1, 114) = 6.20, MSE = 1.15, p < .1, η_p² = 0.24	F(1, 114) = 7.02, MSE = 0.95, p < .01, η_p² = 0.20
Dialogic Loop-Asked a question	F(1, 114) = 9.61, MSE = 0.94, p < .002, η_p² = 0.26	F(1, 114) = 4.28, MSE = 1.16, p < .1, η_p² = 0.32	F(1, 114) = 8.75, MSE = 0.94, p < .01, η_p² = 0.26
Dialogic Loop-Respond to a comment	F(1, 114) = 3.32, MSE = 0.97, p < .1, η_p² = 0.31	F(1, 114) = 43.91, MSE = 1.00, p < .0001, η_p² = 0.32	F(1, 114) = 6.33, MSE = 0.95, p < .1, η_p² = 0.30

Table 3.

Main Effects of the Independent Variables in ANOVAs: Positive and Negative Emotions.

	Positive Emotion	Negative Emotion
CSR: Employee Involvement	F(1, 114) = 4.02, MSE = 0.89, p < .1, η_p² = 0.18
Usefulness of information: Hyperlink		F(1, 114) = 3.94, MSE = 0.41, p < .1, η_p² = 0.08
Usefulness of information: Graphic	F(1, 114) = 3.21, MSE = 0.89, p < .1, η_p² = 0.18
Usefulness of information- Audio/visual	F(1, 114) = 4.58, MSE = 0.89, p < .1, η_p² = 0.18
Dialogic Loop: Asked a question	F(1, 114) = 7.33, MSE = 0.88, p < .01, η_p² = 0.24
Dialogic Loop: Respond to a comment	F(1, 114) = 4.93, MSE = 0.89, p < .02, η_p² = 0.28	F(1, 114) = 17.34, MSE = 0.38, p < .0001, η_p² = 0.12

Discussion

Mental health is a prevalent topic on social media, engaging multiple stakeholders in shaping relevant discourse. This study is among the first to examine corporations’ communication about mental health on social media, specifically through their Facebook messages sent during MHAM. We argue that companies should view mental health as a critical component of their CSR initiatives to actively engage with their concerned publics. However, our research results suggest otherwise. Although some companies did engage with topics relevant to mental health, the number of these posts was extremely low compared to the total messages sent. Regarding their quality, various CSR topic frames were used to address mental health issues, but only half of the posts adhered to content recommendation from the WHO. In terms of communication strategies, usefulness of information was widely adopted, yet dialogic loop strategies were less frequently used. Finally, audience engagement, particularly emotional responses, indicated a positive attitude toward relevant postings, encouraging corporations to engage more with such topics.

Landscape of Corporate Mental Health CSR Social Media Communication

This study provides empirical evidence to better understand how corporations address mental health as a CSR topic on social media. It identifies gaps and future opportunities, thereby enriching CSR communication literature (Balabanova et al., 2023). First, we noticed an extremely low level of company engagement with mental health CSR communication during MHAM, which was somewhat surprising. Various industry reports indicate that mental health is among the top public concerns, with expectations that companies will address this issue (Cision, 2023). We identified a disconnect between actual corporate communication and stakeholders’ expectations. This misalignment is a missed opportunity to meet key stakeholder needs, contribute to the broader community, or align operations with ethical standards and business objectives. Although companies’ low engagement may stem from a fear of negative reactions from the audience (Cision, 2023), the exact reason is unknown. We suggest future studies investigate the reasons behind this gap by conducting interviews or surveys with corporate leaders and communication practitioners.

Based on messages from companies that engaged with mental health topic, our findings reveal that corporate communication primarily offered resources and information related to mental health or illness, aligning with communication from relevant nonprofit organizations (Ju et al., 2023; Madden et al., 2024) and creating value for concerned stakeholders. What stands out is the introduction of initiatives aimed at enhancing employees’ mental well-being, emphasizing their role as the most important internal stakeholders (Mayfield et al., 2023; Men et al., 2023). Corporate communication regarding mental health focused on positive aspects, resonating with the generally favorable portrayal of this topic on social media (Makita et al., 2021; Pavlova & Bekers, 2022). This approach contributes to creating a more supportive and inclusive environment for discussing mental health. Additionally, by aligning with the overall social media sentiment around mental health, companies can effectively connect with the publics on social media, thereby maintaining a positive relationship with their stakeholders.

When using WHO-recommended guidelines to examine content, we found that although half of the posts covered at least one recommended content area, about 40% did not cover any. Particularly, we observed that content about human rights received very low coverage, indicating that corporations are lagging in this area. Research has highlighted social stigma as a significant obstacle to mental health promotion (Cheng et al., 2018; Crowe et al., 2018), and there is a strong call for content that neutralizes this stigma. To address this gap, corporations should intensify their efforts to integrate anti-stigma messages into their communication strategy. Therefore, we highlight a more active adoption of recommended content to make a meaningful contribution. Such proactive approach not only aligns with global health guidelines but also can enhance corporate reputations by demonstrating a commitment to societal well-being.

Mental Health CSR Communication Content and Strategies

Following the theoretical model of Du et al. (2010), we explored the specific content and strategies of mental health CSR communication. For the content, we first used a CSR topic typology (Kim et al., 2014) to examine the relevant posts. Our findings indicate a high integration of mental health issues within the CSR topic framework, with more than two-thirds of the posts employing at least one topic frame. Among all the CSR topics, public health commitment, and employee involvement both elicited engagement and/or positive feedback. This testifies to the effectiveness of situating corporate mental health communication within this CSR typology. This result also emphasizes the stakeholder-centric relationship approach (Morehouse, 2021) in CSR communication, as both of these two content types highlight organizational efforts to support and benefit stakeholders.

One challenge of mental health CSR communication is the delicacy required in discussing this sensitive topic (Cision, 2021). Our study addressed this challenge by developing content guidelines based on the WHO Comprehensive Action Plan (2021). The results showed that content covering two recommended types elicited more engagement, particularly in terms of audience sharing, demonstrating the effectiveness of these communication content guidelines. We hope our guidelines can provide direction for companies seeking to engage with CSR mental health communication in the future.

Regarding CSR communication strategies, our findings reveal certain degrees of two-way communication: Information usefulness was fully adopted by all posts, but the dialogic loop was poorly used. This result is consistent with previous studies showing that companies are slow to incorporate dialogic communication into their CSR social media communication (Capriotti et al., 2021). However, scholars advocate for this approach for communicating CSR messages (Kent & Taylor, 2016). It can reduce skepticism and increase corporate credibility. Our research adds empirical evidence to this assertion, as posts involving the dialogic loop elicited more engagement and more positive responses.

Emotional Response as a Form of Audience Engagement

When examining audience engagement, we added emotional responses to our analysis, enriching the scholarly understanding of audience engagement within social media communication and expanding research on this topic. In response to concerns over negative feedback associated with mental health CSR communication (Ajayi & Mmutle, 2021), our study provides evidence of predominantly positive audience reactions, offering reassurance to companies considering engagement with mental health CSR communication.

The literature emphasizes the importance of eliciting positive emotions through communication to enhance mental health outcomes (Reynolds et al., 2017; Zion et al., 2022). Our findings identify content and strategies that successfully induced such emotions, including employee involvement framing content, strategies of information usefulness, and the dialogical loop. However, communication strategies also elicited negative emotions. While the reasons for negative reactions remain unclear, the dialogic loop strategy may induce negativity by providing opportunities for public criticism of company initiatives, particularly when a company poses a question or responds inappropriately to a comment.

When differentiating between behavioral (i.e., likes, comments and shares) and emotional engagement, we found content and strategic variables elicit different types of engagement. For instance, content centered on employee involvement, while not significantly related to behavioral engagement, was associated with positive emotions. This observation supports the view that relying solely on quantitative measures of engagement—such as the number of likes, shares, and comments—oversimplifies the complex dynamics of audience interaction (Farhat et al., 2021; Men & Tsai, 2013). It is crucial to include additional dimensions, such as emotional reactions, to comprehensively understand audience engagement with organizational social media messages.

Theoretical and Practical Implications

The current study provides important implications for both public relations scholars and practitioners, especially those who are interested in addressing mental health crisis from the organizational perspective. This study integrates mental health communication with CSR communication in public relations, enriching the theoretical landscape and offering new perspectives on how organizations can engage with mental health as part of their social responsibility. By bridging these areas, this research exemplifies how peripheral clusters can influence central paradigms, advancing a more interconnected and diverse public relations scholarship (Zhou et al., 2023). Second, informed by the Action Plan from WHO, this study offers new content strategies for mental health CSR communication, thus expanding the strategic management cluster in public relations research (Toth, 2009, 2010; Zhou et al., 2023). Lastly, this research delves into audience emotional engagement in corporate communication, adding a new dimension to the literature on social media audience engagement (Morehouse & Saffer, 2020). This approach aligns with the call to include an affective dimension in the conceptualization of engagement (Dhanesh, 2017), while also providing a tangible method to operationalize this affective dimension by examining emotional responses through audience’s use of emojis.

This study also yields practical implications to guide corporate CSR communication. First, we strongly advocate for increasing engagement with mental health topics as part of CSR communication, especially during MHAM. This period is a peak time for discussing mental health issues, and public demand for corporate involvement is high. Staying silent on this topic is a missed opportunity. The overall positive emotional responses demonstrate the public’s receptiveness to corporate discussions about mental health. Second, we recommend that corporations integrate both CSR and mental health communication strategies to address this sensitive topic. Our study provided evidence of the effectiveness of using existing strategies, such as framing mental health within public health commitment, dedicating content to mental health promotion, and using strategies of information usefulness and dialogical loops. These approaches can serve as a solid foundation. Third, we recommend that corporations connect mental health topics with other ceremonial observances through the month of May (especially as they often involve gatherings of families and friends, which can be emotionally complicated). May is filled with many such events. Addressing these observances with mental health topics, corporations can create synergy that benefits multiple stakeholders. For example, honoring AAPI Heritage Month while addressing the mental health barriers faced by minorities can be mutually beneficial. At last, our findings enrich the current corporate trainings on effective CSR communication (Rossetti & Van Waes, 2022), offering valuable insights on mental health communication. Content guidelines derived from the WHO can serve as a useful framework for developing relevant messages. Finally, the significant relations among content and communication strategy variables can help practitioners tailor their messaging more effectively to engage and connect with their target audiences, ultimately fostering a more supportive and informed approach to mental health communication.

Conclusion and Limitations

This study analyzes Facebook messages posted during MHAM by Fortune 500 companies to offer a general understanding of CSR mental health communication, specifically the content covered, and communication strategies employed. It also provides insights into the relationship between message content, communication strategies, and audience engagement, including emotional engagement, shedding light on effective practices for mental health CSR communication.

This study has some limitations. First, the sample size is relatively small (n = 115), which constrains the analysis of frequency, engagement, and emotional response. Future research could expand on this topic by examining data across multiple years or incorporating data from multiple platforms. Second, many corporations have limited numbers of followers, often composed of employees or fans, which may hinder the ability to gauge public attitudes toward these companies. Future studies might consider using methods beyond social media engagement, such as experimental approaches, to measure audience responses more accurately. Third, this study focused solely on Facebook data. Additional insights could be gained from other platforms, such as LinkedIn, which is specifically designed for professional communication and networking. Future studies could explore such platforms for a broader perspective.

Footnotes

Appendix A

Appendix B

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This project is supported by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Explore Grant, Award No. 103276.

ORCID iD

Ran Ju

Author Biographies

Ran Ju (rju@mtroyal.ca) is an Associate Professor of Public Relations in the Faculty of Business, Communication Studies and Aviation at Mount Royal University, Canada. She received her Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and holds Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). Her research interest is public relations for the public good, exploring how strategic communication can promote societal well-being and contribute to positive social change. Her research covers topics such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) communication, organizational mental health promotion, and public relations for social inclusion.

Dr. Moyi Jia (Ohio University, 2013) is an associate professor of Communication and Media Studies at SUNY Cortland. Her research interests involve emotion in organizations, mental health promotion, and social support.

Dr. Yuanxing Wan is an associate professor at the School of Accounting at Zhejiang Gongshang University and a postdoctoral at Fudan University. He is the director of the Case Center, the Chair of the International Accounting Department, and also an independent director of several listed companies. His research interest is innovation management.

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Communicative Care: How Companies Approach Mental Health CSR on Social Media

Abstract

Keywords

Literature Review

Mental Health as a Corporate Social Responsibility

Mental Health and CSR Communication

CSR Communication Content and Mental Health Communication

CSR Communication Channel and Dialogic Strategies

Audience Engagement and Mental Health CSR Communication

Method

Data Collection and Screening

Mental Health CSR Communication Codebook and Intercoder Reliability

Results

Mental Health CSR Communication Content and Strategies

Mental Health CSR Communication and Audience Engagement

Discussion

Landscape of Corporate Mental Health CSR Social Media Communication

Mental Health CSR Communication Content and Strategies

Emotional Response as a Form of Audience Engagement

Theoretical and Practical Implications

Conclusion and Limitations

Footnotes

Appendix A

Appendix B

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

Funding

ORCID iD

Author Biographies

References