Growing demand for content related to mental health awareness first came onto our radar in early 2019. If you look at what's been happening in American media, the demand makes sense. Public conversation about mental health awareness experienced some positive strides this past year and it doesn't seem like that will change as we move into 2020. A strong movement to de-stigmatize mental illnesses and treatment is underway and playing out on the public stage.
Erasing the Stigma
Mental health topics have experienced a huge jump of 40% growth in search volume overall. On Storyblocks Video, searches for meditation are up 93%, addiction are up 75%, help are up 66%, depression are up 30% and recovery are up 20%-and that doesn't even cover the more specific searches related to these topics.
Prominent pop culture icons, politicians and media figures have been opening up about their personal relationships with mental health, inspiring the general public (particularly younger generations) to do the same. Recently, SoulPancake and Funny or Die partnered to produce Laughing Matters a documentary-short detailing the struggle with mental health many comedians experience. The doc features high-profile comedians and actors like Rainn Wilson, Sarah Silvermana and Wayne Brady, to name a few. Many of these popular figures have, until now, mostly kept their struggles out of the public eye.
With topics like addiction and recovery, the national opioid crisis remains in the national spotlight, being covered in documentaries, news, and even political campaigns. It played a large role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election discourse and will undoubtedly be a part of the 2020 elections as policies and remedies continue to be discussed. The current democratic candidates have all shared their positions and proposals to date.
The Relationship with Social Media
Although mental health awareness is being covered in a variety of media platforms from news to podcasts to advertising, we predict that social media will play a major role in elevating the conversation in 2020. Social campaigns like #worldmentalhealthday have dominated Twitter, Instagram, and more with posts about awareness, personal stories, and more.
Being that mental health is such a personal experience, it's not surprising to see that social platforms are where the trend is rising. Within the creator community, there is a growing movement to acknowledge the burnout and mental stress that influencers like YouTube stars experience. It was an alarmingly dominant topic at this year's annual VidCon convention.
Stock Media's Role
As mental health awareness becomes a bigger topical focus and is featured widely in the media, we need to talk about the importance of authenticity in mental health imagery. The subject is particularly difficult to represent visually.
For example, mental health conditions and illnesses are complex and there isn't a singular face or expression that represents each one. However, we should strive to shift away from representing depression with an over-exaggerated frown, or recovery with yoga on the beach. The stock media industry has a role to play here, and all content creators have an opportunity to help shape public discourse through the visual representations used. The more effort that's put into learning about the nuances of mental health and utilizing authentic imagery, the more we can de-stigmatize mental illnesses and help further the conversation.
The Future of Mental Health Conversations We hope that mental health awareness isn't a passing trend, but the start of a movement to normalize open discussion about mental health and end the stigma. It will be one of the most important topics to follow in 2020 and one we'd like to see continually grow.
See all the creative trends for the coming year in our 2020 Trends Guide
Tell Your Story
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions for broadcast, post, and professional AV will showcase its latest signal processing solutions at B...
19/05/2026
Media Links, a leading developer and manufacturer of IP media transport solutions, has announced the integration of its Xscend platform with Skyline Communicat...
19/05/2026
Collaboration expands regional partner ecosystem as Media Links showcases IP media transport solutions on stand 4M4-4 and alongside Clearcast Asia on stand
Me...
19/05/2026
Company Highlights Labor-Saving Control and Custom Branding Opportunities Designed to Increase Integrator Profitability
LynTec, a leading manufacturer of ele...
19/05/2026
Mago Studio Moves AI Video Beyond Prompts with New Production-Focused Tools
Brie Clayton May 18, 2026
0 Comments
New Capabilities Bring Controllable, ...
19/05/2026
It May be Time to Stop and Take an AI Breather
Brie Clayton May 19, 2026
0 Comments
If the rock you stay on starts to roll, jump clean. Or you'll...
18/05/2026
Despite a bumpy start to the year, the provider of event-production support and ...
18/05/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the University of North Carolina to manufacture and install 11 LED displays totaling more than 10,000 square feet and more than 14...
18/05/2026
CBS LA has announced a multi-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, covering exclusive local broadcasts of Rams preseason games, weekly year-round programm...
18/05/2026
Skyline Communications has announced an integration between its DataMiner xOps p...
18/05/2026
eCLUTCH, the hybrid esports platform powered by iKOMG, has announced an expansion of its distribution across Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia, along with new cont...
18/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/05/2026
With 22 games this season, the production team looks forward to tweaking and enhancing the coverage
After 8,660 days off the air, the WNBA returned to NBC yest...
18/05/2026
(L-R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the Saccharine premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in ...
18/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
18/05/2026
ZEN-Core synth goes mobile
Roland's powerful ZEN-Core software synthesizer has just been introduced to the iPad, offering a convenient entry point into ...
18/05/2026
Versatile new limiter plug-in announced
Based in Sheffield, UK, fedDSP offer a range of plug-ins that span the music production, live sound and high-end med...
18/05/2026
A new use for convolution?
Viiri Audio's debut plug-in aims to do something a little different with convolution processing, allowing users to adjust all...
18/05/2026
Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for E...
18/05/2026
The Australian Defence Force uses L3Harris T4 and T7 robots for explosive ordnan...
18/05/2026
Continued investment across Europe and Germany is expanding local teams and improving access to stock, regional expertise, and specialist broadcast support.
CV...
18/05/2026
Agentic AI inference at one-tenth the cost per token with NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL7...
18/05/2026
18 May 2026
Dubai and New York, May 18, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a glob...
18/05/2026
Monday 18 May 2026
Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just...
18/05/2026
Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains lead while Anthropic's Claude continues to c...
17/05/2026
Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run
17 May, 2026
Media releases
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
Relive every spellbinding mome...
17/05/2026
Back to All News
Oasis Premieres on Netflix June 19
Entertainment
17 May 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Summer, sunshine, the beach, parties. T...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
Growing demand for content related to mental health awareness first came onto our radar in early 2019. If you look at what's been happening in American media, the demand makes sense. Public conversation about mental health awareness experienced some positive strides this past year and it doesn't seem like that will change as we move into 2020. A strong movement to de-stigmatize mental illnesses and treatment is underway and playing out on the public stage. 
