Watching just 17 minutes of YouTubers talking about their struggles with mental health drives down prejudice, University of Essex research has suggested.
Viewers’ perceptions of disorders declined, with prejudice towards mental health falling by 8% and intergroup anxiety levels plummeting by 11%.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, explored how connections felt by people towards YouTube creators they watch – known as parasocial relationships—can impact behaviour. As part of the research, hundreds of people watched videos of a woman who then revealed she had a borderline personality disorder (BPD) and discussed common misconceptions about her condition. After watching just 17 minutes of her content, levels of explicit prejudice and intergroup anxiety dropped.