The Role of Narrative Transportation in Storytelling as a Form of Mental Health Communication: An Experimental Approach

This research explores the connection between health belief constructs and consumers' intention to seek help for their health, specifically mental health. It employs storytelling as a health-communication method, incorporating narrative transportation into the conceptual model to underscore the impact of various formats used in public service announcements. An online experimental study (<i>n</i> = 251) conducted through a crowdsourcing platform compared visual and audio narratives with audio-only narratives. Data analysis through PLS-SEM and ANOVA revealed that both video and audio narratives were equally effective, but narrative transportation was a stronger mediator for video. This is because video combines visual and auditory elements, creating a more engaging and vivid experience that enhances the viewer's emotional and cognitive involvement in the narrative. The combination of moving images, sound, and sometimes text in videos can lead to a higher level of transportation, making the story more persuasive and impactful compared to audio alone, which relies solely on sound to convey the narrative. The findings show that health promotion messages through videos can transport people through an immersive experience of being absorbed into a story.