Summary
How do you design engaging communications experiences when the audience you serve faces obstacles to connect? The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD) strives to provide Veterans with tangible resources and information to help with mental health and seeking treatment. Historically, there’s been a significant portion of the Veteran population NCPTSD has not been able to reach and they needed to better understand their audience’s pain points and how to connect effectively. Over the past two years, we’ve taken a human-centered approach to empathize with and understand the Veteran experience to better reach and communicate with them.
Key Insights
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Up to 30% of Vietnam veterans develop PTSD, much higher than the 6% civilian rate.
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PTSD often leads to substance abuse and is strongly linked to veteran suicide rates.
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Less than half of veterans who die by suicide had recent VA healthcare contact.
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Stigma and military culture create significant barriers to veterans seeking PTSD help.
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Aligning clearly on goals with measurable success criteria prevents unfocused communication efforts.
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Audience personas revealed more diverse PTSD and support experience subgroups than initially recognized.
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Mapping audience journey stages helps deliver the right message at the right time to nudge action.
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Personalized campaigns that consider communication preferences outperform generic outreach.
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Digitizing traditional efforts like the PTSD Pledge Form led to participation surges of over 400%.
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The PTSD Coaching app campaign generated a 65% boost in downloads immediately after targeted emails.
Notable Quotes
"At any given year, 10 to 20% of veterans will suffer from PTSD."
"Nearly three quarters of those surviving violent trauma report alcohol use disorders."
"Less than half of veterans who take their own lives had any contact with VA health care in the prior two years."
"Military training focuses on strength and protecting others, not admitting vulnerabilities."
"Without aligning on goals, you’re likely creating random, reactive communications that miss your audience."
"Personas help answer who your audience really is and what they need from your organization."
"Messaging must give the right content at the right time to push audiences in the right direction."
"The PTSD Pledge Form’s digitization resulted in a 483% increase in participation over two years."
"The PTSD Coaching app lets veterans track progress and build support networks to manage symptoms."
"People are absolutely willing to rally around the cause to support veterans in their communities."
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