CIPR and PRCA launch ‘Heard Mentality’ campaign

The CIPR and PRCA have joined forces to launch their first combined campaign ‘Heard Mentality’, which aims to push mental health conversations forward across the PR and communications industry.

The #HeardMentality campaign will focus on encouraging leaders to listen to their colleagues and speak constructively with their teams on mental health issues. The PRCA and CIPR will issue conversation starter packs to organisations and individuals to prompt conversations during the week of 13 September among those working in-house, agency-side and independently.

How to take part:
1. Your or your employers can organise a face-to-face or online ‘Heard Mentality’ conversation during the week of 13 September.
2. Get a conversation starter pack by completing this form.
3. Use the #HeardMentality hashtag across social media.
4. Get ready by thinking about how your colleagues are doing, what changes could be made in the workplace to support mental health as well as your own experiences.

Research from the CIPR and PRCA due out later in 2021 shows that 90% of PR professionals have reported poor mental health in the last 12 months.

‘For too long we’ve accepted that high stress is just the way it is, but it doesn’t need to be that way,’ said CIPR Health Group chair Rachel Royall.

‘The cost of poor mental health is too high from a human and a financial perspective. We can do better and take action to improve the environment our industry operates in and in turn respect diversity and help talent to flourish.’

PRCA director general and ICCO chief executive Francis Ingham said of the importance of the initiative: ‘I’ll be candid – there have been times over the past year or so when my own mental health has hit rock bottom. I’m not embarrassed to say so. We need to speak honestly and openly about this. It’s time for a step change in how we address mental health. This campaign can be the start of meaningful progress – we need to stop, listen and act on the concerns of our colleagues.’

The #HeardMentality campaign is just the start of the collaboration between the two industry bodies focusing on mental health. Both are also supporting the establishment of a mental health charter with PRWeek and have mental health resources that can be accessed on their websites.

Find out more information and support the Heard Mentality initiative from the CIPR and PRCA by completing this form.

For more on mental wellbeing, here are seven ways to protect your mental health while working in PR and communications and advice on how to prepare for a return to in-office working.