Influencers & Mental Health: Head free or just hot air?

When the head smokes: Mental health on social media -blessing or risk?

Mental health is no longer a taboo subject, but an absolute social media trend. Influencers openly share their experiences with mental illness, creating important points of contact for like-minded people. This is a huge step towards destigmatization. Suddenly it's okay to not be okay. You scroll through your feed and see someone you look up to who also struggles with anxiety - that can be a real game changer! It creates a sense of belonging and community that goes far beyond likes and comments.

However, this trend also has its downsides, which we need to examine closely in the context of influencer marketing. The need for support is huge: on Instagram alone, there are around 48 million posts about mental health and on TikTok there are even around 120 billion views. According to the DGPPN, one in four adults in Germany suffers from a mental illness and the numbers are rising. The catastrophic shortage of treatment places, which leaves those affected waiting an average of five months, is driving many to social media. Here they find a quick, low-threshold "safe space", can remain anonymous and get initial advice. This normalization and the opportunities for contact are a great advantage.

However, for many of those affected, watching such videos is often misunderstood as therapy. The problem? Most influencers are not experts, but they pretend to be in order to gain trust. Users are desperate for answers, but are often given false or misleading information. Trust is shamelessly exploited when "miracle capsules" for depression are recommended, which are of course linked to monetary interests. Mental illnesses are often trivialized - "a self-care bubble bath for depression" - and reduced to a few symptoms, which can lead to false self-diagnoses, as these illnesses are extremely complex and require a professional assessment. Despite the topic, social media often remains a make-believe world that trivializes mental health problems. For brands and influencers, this means that transparency and responsibility are more important than ever to avoid being criticized and losing the trust of the community.

But let's not be blinded by the risks: The open approach to mental health in influencer marketing is more than just a trend, it is an important development. It offers incredible opportunities for brands to position themselves authentically and build a deeper connection with their target audience by supporting influencers who take the topic seriously and responsibly. This development can make influencer marketing more human, honest and relevant overall. It's about creating a platform that not only entertains, but also educates, inspires and encourages. At the end of the day, we are all human with our ups and downs. And it's a huge step forward when people talk about it and brands can be part of this positive change.

Brands in the spotlight: Opportunities and challenges for cooperations

This mental health trend is naturally also influencing the world of brand partnerships. For brands, there are unexpected opportunities here, but also new challenges:

• Opportunities:
  
  Authenticity and credibility: Brands that support influencers who speak openly about mental health show attitude and gain credibility. They signal that they care about more than just profit.
  
  Deeper connection to the target group: Working with influencers who treat such a sensitive topic responsibly enables a more emotional and deeper connection to the community.
  
  Positive brand perception: Those who stand up for mental health are perceived as socially responsible. This can significantly improve the brand image.
  
  Reach new target groups: Brands can reach people who are skeptical of traditional marketing messages but appreciate open and honest content.
• Challenges:
  
  Authenticity is everything: Greenwashing is one thing, "mental health washing" is another. Brands need to be extremely careful that their engagement does not come across as a marketing stunt. Genuine support, meaningful campaigns and transparent communication are a must.
  
  Risk of performance pressure: Mental health cannot be planned. Many influencers need space to recover. Brands must act empathetically here and not create additional pressure.
  
  Sensitive content: The selection of influencers and the design of campaigns must be extremely sensitive to avoid unintentionally triggering or reproducing suffering. Specialist expertise and psychological support can be helpful here.
  
  Measurability: The ROI of mental health campaigns cannot always be measured directly in sales. Brand sentiment, engagement quality and brand loyalty are more important here - which requires a different type of KPI measurement. This is exactly where modern platforms such as our IROIN® Influencer Marketing Suite offer precise analysis and reporting functions to make the indirect value of such campaigns visible and to make well-founded decisions.

The boomerang effect: when it's not authentic

As with every trend, there is a downside. If talking about mental health is just a ploy to generate attention, it will blow up in the face of the influencer and the brand. Followers today are smarter than ever and can smell "fake" from miles away.

An inauthentic approach to mental health quickly brings the unpleasant receipt:

• Loss of trust: probably the worst damage. If the community feels it is being exploited, trust is gone - and won't be back any time soon.
• Shitstorms and negative PR: The internet forgets nothing. An ill-considered or inauthentic action can quickly turn into a public disaster.
• Damage to brand image: Brands that get involved with inauthentic influencers risk massive damage to their image.
  
  Authenticity is the absolute key here. It's about creating real awareness and not just following a trend.
  

The way forward: a more conscious future for content and collaborations

Talking openly about mental health on social media is more than just a fad - it's a necessary development. Content creators have an incredible responsibility here, but also a unique opportunity to make a real difference. Brands that take this trend seriously and engage in an authentic way will benefit from building a stronger and more loyal bond with their target audience. Our Influencer Marketing Suite helps brands and agencies find the right influencers and transparently track the success of these sensitive campaigns - for collaborations that really deliver.

The future of influencer content will (hopefully!) be even more human, honest and reflective. It's about working together to create a platform that not only entertains, but also inspires, educates and encourages. And it's only best for all of us if we deal with this content in an open, sensitized and respectful way.