This master’s thesis addresses the issue of mental health stigma, which, despite increasing awareness, remains a significant barrier to seeking help, particularly among young people. The focus is on the national campaign “Nisi okej? Povej naprej.”, which was launched in Slovenia in response to the increase in mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examines how the campaign approaches mental health destigmatisation, how experts understand stigma and destigmatisation, how this is reflected in the campaign’s design and communication, how systemic barriers to seeking help are considered, and what the campaign’s strengths, limitations, and opportunities for improvement are. The research is based on a qualitative approach and three expert interviews, analysed using qualitative descriptive analysis. The findings show that the campaign promotes destigmatisation mainly by normalising conversations about mental health, using personal stories, and combining educational and contact-based approaches. Its main limitation is the lack of evaluation that would allow a reliable assessment of its impact on reducing stigma. Systemic barriers were not a direct focus of the campaign but were partly addressed through different pathways to support. The thesis concludes with guidelines for future campaigns that would more comprehensively address individual, social, and systemic factors of destigmatisation.
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