Using Instagram to Promote Youth Mental Health: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Social Contact-Based Video Intervention to Reduce Depression Stigma

ABSTRACT Objective Depression is a leading cause of disability among youth, with stigma significantly hindering mental health service utilization. Social media platforms offer a promising means to reach large, diverse youth populations, providing an opportunity to deliver interventions where young people are highly active. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a proven social contact-based video intervention via Instagram. We hypothesized that the intervention would be feasible and acceptable, generating higher link clicks and lower cost-per-click (CPC) compared to control videos. Method A two-week Instagram campaign in February 2024 targeted U.S. adolescents aged 14-22. The campaign featured a 60-second human-narrated personal story video, previously tested and shown to reduce depression stigma. The intervention's effectiveness was assessed using key metrics: impressions (the number of times the video was displayed), reach (the number of distinct viewers), link clicks (engagement with mental-health resources), and CPC (cost-effectiveness). These metrics were compared to four control videos that varied in narration style and content. Results The campaign generated 808,000 impressions, reached 287,000 viewers, and resulted in 4,148 link clicks. The intervention video achieved 874 link clicks with a CPC of $0.92, outperforming three of the four control videos. Conclusion This study demonstrates that Instagram is a feasible and acceptable platform for disseminating evidence-based mental-health interventions aimed at reducing depression stigma among youth. The findings support the potential for broader use of social media in public mental-health strategies, though further research is needed to monitor subsequent help-seeking behaviors and assess impact across diverse groups.