About this resource
Media portrayals of mental illness and mental health can have a significant impact on community perceptions of mental illness and can assist in breaking down the stigma that can be associated with mental illness.
To support media messages about mental illness and mental health in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, partner with multilingual media, organisations like the Transcultural Mental Health Centre and trusted community leaders. Focus on reducing stigma through holistic stories of social and emotional wellbeing.
This page includes resources and guidance for media and communication organisations. It supports safe and effective communication about mental health, wellbeing, and suicide. It also includes strategies for communicating with culturally diverse audiences.
The Multicultural NSW - Communicating with culturally diverse audiences' tool will help you to successfully communicate with culturally diverse communities.
Let's work together to reduce stigma and discrimination, and communicate in ways that are safe, inclusive and hopeful.
Helpful resources
On our website, you can access:
- statistical data about multicultural and diverse communities in NSW via our Document library.
- the latest mental health research and studies via our Knowledge hub.
- shared stories of recovery of people from culturally and diverse communities.
- the latest mental health news and events.
Evidence-informed information
National Communications Charter
The National Communications Charter (the Charter) is an evidence-informed document to help guide the way mental health and suicide prevention sectors communicate about mental health concerns, mental health and wellbeing and suicide. The Charter provides guidance for:
- businesses
- communities
- individuals
- governments.
The Charter serves as a guide toward a united approach and a shared formal commitment to use safe and consistent communication. It is an agreement to put the guiding 7 principles into practice to:
- reduce stigma
- minimise harm
- promote help-seeking and offer help.
The Charter was developed by Everymind through its Life in Mind program.
Read and download the Charter online
Mindframe National Media Initiative (Mindframe)
MindFrame provides evidence-based information to support safe media reporting, portrayal and communication about:
- alcohol and other drugs
- mental health concerns
- suicide.
The website provides:
- guidelines for media reporting and other public communication
- guidelines for image use to minimise stigma and harm, and maximise diversity of representation
- practical, research-informed and user-friendly guidelines for language use
- shared stories of lived experience to assist with safe and impactful public sharing to empower and heal.
Mindframe for culturally and linguistically diverse broadcasters
The Mindframe for culturally and linguistically diverse broadcasters webpage has been developed with community broadcasters to provide resources to help them feel more confident talking about suicide and mental health concerns as part of their programs.
Conversations Matter
Conversations Matter is a practical online resource to support safe and effective community discussions about suicide.
Suicide is a legitimate public health issue that is covered by the media. It is however, a complex issue to discuss and the way we communicate about this issue needs to be considered.
Conversation Matter offers fact sheets providing information and advice on how to minimise risk when discussing suicide publicly, as well as practical resources for discussing suicide with individuals, families and communities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Articles of interest
| Article and weblink | Reference |
|---|---|
| Sense of belonging and media representation among multilingual audiences | By Griffiths, R. and Park, S. et al. News and Media Research Centre, University of Canberra (2025) |
| The role of language in suicide reporting: Investigating the influence of problematic suicide referents | By Florian Arendt & Sebastian Scherr et al; Social Science and Medicine. 3 May 2018 |
| Why reporting on refugee crises requires empathy for mental health issues | By Marc Herman, Columbia Journalism Review. July 6, 2016 |