{
  "abstract": "Reddit has emerged as an accessible, anonymous platform for public discourse surrounding mental illness, yet little research has examined how users perceive and evaluate existing anti-stigma initiatives. This study addresses this gap by analyzing public discourse around destigmatization efforts, including both corporate-led campaigns (i.e., Bell Lets Talk) and broader community-based discussions. We conducted an interpretive content analysis of Reddit posts and comments identified through an a priori search protocol registered on the Only Science Framework. We drew a criterion-based purposive sample from r/mentalhealth and general Reddit using keywords related to anti-stigma discourse (e.g., \"anti-stigma,\" \"destigmatizing,\" and #BellLetsTalk). Fifty posts met inclusion criteria, yielding 581 coded references. Posts predominantly addressed mental health in general terms rather than specific diagnoses, with public stigma (n=28 posts) and structural stigma (n=16 posts) most discussed; internalized stigma was rarely a primary focus. #BellLetsTalk posts located outside the mental health community generated substantially greater engagement than posts within r/mentalhealth, with several threads exceeding 300 comments. Four themes emerged during the qualitative analysis: (1) anti-stigma efforts are unhelpful (n=381), (2) hopeful sentiments about anti-stigma efforts, (3) the mixed role of media, and (4) future directions for anti-stigma efforts.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Western University"
  ],
  "article_type": "PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A. L. Colonello"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. E. Mete"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/95a38d6gxj5j7.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.11.26362889",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.26362889v1.full",
  "id": "95a38d6gxj5j7",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.26362889v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "medrxiv",
      "health systems and quality improvement"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3207|Mental Health Treatment and Access"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213356780",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.26362889v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-11",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/95a38d6gxj5j7.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:33Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.11.26362889",
      "source": "medrxiv",
      "url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.26362889v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "medrxiv:health systems and quality improvement",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Online attitudes toward mental illness anti-stigma efforts: A content analysis",
  "title_text": "Online attitudes toward mental illness anti-stigma efforts: A content analysis",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:33Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/95a38d6gxj5j7",
  "venue": "medRxiv",
  "versions": []
}