Mental Health Communication and Self Efficacy: Designing a Responsive Information Architecture

Peter Cannon, Katie Lynn Walkup

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A technical communicator’s role in mediating information seeking between seemingly disparate audiences is an important concern when considering issues of disciplinary identity or advocacy. This brief paper describes the design of responsive information architecture that helps the residents of a women’s residential drug and treatment center to recognize and articulate symptoms of clinical and subclinical mental disorders, and then communicate this information to onsite healthcare providers. Using the applied Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking (CMIS) to determine consumers’ demographics, experience, salience, and beliefs, this information architecture promotes communication and self-efficacy in this underserved environment. Mental Health Literacy communication is needed in this treatment center because research suggests that recognition of a mental disorder leads to better treatment preferences and understanding. When technical communicators can predict what causes the residents of this treatment center to seek information and resources regarding their own mental health, we will be able to improve the self-efficacy of this community, and of other underserved communities.
Original languageAmerican English
Journal2016 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (IPCC)
StatePublished - 2016

Keywords

  • Rhetoric
  • information infrastructure
  • Medical Rhetoric

Disciplines

  • Rhetoric and Composition
  • Rhetoric
  • Library and Information Science
  • Health Sciences and Medical Librarianship

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