I am a founder and project director of a newly launched nonprofit initiative based in Pittsburgh, NASNIcares, that is focused on improving the lives of people living with brain health disorders. This initiative and its principle advocacy partner believe that there is a lexicon problem in that the terminologies we are using in public discourse are fueling misunderstanding, which in turn, hinders the public awareness that is needed to confront some of the social policies that fail the population for which this advocacy is needed.
It is mission critical for us to move beyond speculation and assumptions about how people generally conceptualize mental health and mental illness. As project director of NASNIcares, I believe that the only way to validate these assumptions is to conduct in person surveys. It is important that people self-define these terms in response to a small number of very carefully designed questions. Methods other than in person questionnaires may compromise the goal of the survey in that it is likely that individuals may web search definitions of the subject terminologies. A recitation of one of these definitions may mask the conceptual ideas that the survey would seek to reveal.
Unfortunately, during this pandemic, in person surveys may not be viable. Can your advisors offer any insights on how to grapple with this dilemma?