This document summarizes a market research project conducted by students to help the Pasadena chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) improve awareness of mental illness. The research included developing and distributing a survey to 50 residents of the San Gabriel Valley. Key findings were that most respondents knew someone with a mental illness but felt lacking in knowledge. Respondents associated stigma with mental illness and were unsure how to help those suffering. Few were familiar with NAMI. Most acquired information online and wanted basic facts on symptoms and treatment. Respondents saw the biggest unmet needs as treatment costs, education, and support groups. The researchers concluded NAMI could help by improving their online and printed resources and building referral networks.

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Consumer Market Research Project
By Lucy Fletcher, Yesenia Guzman, Kathryn Heggie,
Christina Jones, Beatriz Manela and Chukwuma
Morah

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Problem Statement
 Pasadena chapter of NAMI is
concerned that mental illness may not
have the level of awareness and
understanding needed to educate
people who suffer from such diseases -
or their families – on how to detect and
treat them effectively.
 NAMI is unable to reach as many
people as they would like who either
suffer from mental illness or know
someone who does
 This leaves NAMI unable to attract
enough volunteers and guarantee the
chapter’s on-going viability.

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Objectives
 Perform research via secondary data (previously
gathered information)
 Factors that influence people to seek treatment for afflictions that
carry a social stigma.
 Information needed by people who suffer from such afflictions- or
their families - to detect the disease and seek effective treatment.
 How other non-profit organizations have effectively built
awareness and understanding for their causes and reduced the
stigma attached to them.
 Use secondary data to create a survey designed to
determine the level of understanding about mental illness
in the population of interest

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Survey Development
The marketing research assessment was
developed to obtain info on the following
topics:
 Awareness of mental illness
 Stigma towards mental illness
 Awareness of NAMI
 Services
Research population: Residents of the
San Gabriel Valley
 Sample size of 50 respondents
 Response rate of 52%
 Typical response rate for Zoomerang (the
survey software used) surveys is 20-30%

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Awareness of Mental Illness
know someone who suffers from a
mental illness
have an immediate family member with a
mental illness. Proves accuracy of our
research: according to secondary research,
one-in-five families is affected by a mental
illness

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Awareness of Mental Illness
know that there is treatment for
those who suffer from mental illness
feel knowledgeable on the
subject of mental illness
Conclusion: Mental Illness affects most people in some way, but
education on the subject is lacking.

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Stigma Associated with Mental Illness
In our secondary research, we learned that:
 People feel uncomfortable about mental illness due to the
stigma associated with it
 People who suspect that they might be mentally ill are
unwilling to seek help for fear of what others may think
 Education provides information so that the public can
make more informed decisions about mental illness
 This will help to eliminate the barriers to accessing
mental health services and to reduce stigma associated
with mental illness.

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Stigma Associated with Mental Illness
From our survey results we found that:
are unsure how to help
someone with a mental
illness
stated that people feel
uncomfortable interacting with
people who have a mental
illness
feel that people with
mental illnesses are
treated unfairly in
today’s society
Conclusion:
People feel uncomfortable with the
subject because they don’t
understand the subject or how to
help people with mental illnesses

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Awareness of NAMI
We asked the respondents to name any organizations that help
people with mental illnesses.
We received over 50 separate responses, but no one single organization
was named twice.
 Conclusion: No one single organization comes to people’s minds in the
same way that “AA” is linked to alcoholism.
We asked the respondents whether they would know how to help someone
they knew with a mental illness.
 Nearly half (48%) of the respondents said they wouldn’t know how.
 Conclusion: People need that “go-to” place that deals with issues
regarding mental illness. This is a big opportunity for NAMI in the San
Gabriel Valley.

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Awareness of NAMI
We asked the respondents how often mental illness affects their
lives.
We then asked them what media source their knowledge on the
subject comes from.
 Majority of those affected by mental illness acquire their knowledge
on the subject via literature and the Internet
 Conclusion: Spreading awareness via an online version of the
NAMI newsletter sent to both members and non-members would
prove beneficial.

11. +Services
Needs of respondents in relation to Mental Health services.
 62% of respondents reported that mental illness affects
their lives anywhere from “Sometimes” to “Very Often”.
 These findings support our secondary research  Many
people are affected by mental illness.
 If 62% of those sampled in the San Gabriel Valley are
affected by mental illness why are they not involved
with NAMI?

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Conclusions:
 The unknown is feared
 More basic information (i.e. What is MI, symptoms, treatment options
etc.).
 Brochure development and upgrading the website for the San Gabriel
Valley NAMI chapter to include a section dedicated to resources and
education.

13. +Services
To better understand needs
surrounding mental illness, we asked:
“If you knew someone who required
mental health services, I think they
would need the following:”
The three choices that respondents
felt were most important were:
 Mental health treatment
 Education
 Support groups

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Services
Conclusions
 NAMI already provides: Education and Support groups.
However, the data from this research project indicates that
people need basic information  Assume that people know
nothing
 Many of those who reported education as their top “needed
service” said that they obtain their information about mental
illness from the Internet and literature.  Opportunity for
NAMI to:
 develop brochures and pamphlets,
 revamp the newsletter (members and Non-members),
 new online content
We believe that these new tools will recruit and retain
new members
 We believe that collaborating or simply creating a referral
network of treatment and care agencies would provide
NAMI members a reason to join, but an additional reason to
stay a member throughout the years.

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Services
We asked the respondents: “if someone you knew
required mental health services, my biggest concern
would be”
 65% reported cost of treatment as being their main
concern.
Conclusions:
 Referrals to financial services
 Workshops/classes on cost and coverage options for
treatment  How to Navigate the System.

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Appendix (Sources)
 Corrigan, P. (2004). How Stigma Interferes with Mental Health
Care. American Psychologist, 59(7), p614-25.
 Kobau, R., Dilorio, C., Chapman.,& Delvecchio, P. (2010).
Attitudes about Mental Illness and its Treatment.
Community Mental Health Journal, 46(2), p164-176.
 Lambert. T., & Lambert., R. (2007) Mental Illness and Faith
Community Outreach: Communities of Compassion and Justice.
Chicago Archdiocese Commission on Mental Illness.
 Vogel, D. L., Wade, N. G., & Haake, S. (2009). Measuring
Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Psychological
Help. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(3), p325-372.

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Questions?