How CM's New Podcast Breaks the Taboo Around (Mental) Health

January 1, 2021
5
min read

https://www.chase.be/hoe-de-nieuwe-podcast-van-cm-het-taboe-rond-mentale-gezondheid-verbreekt-sotuc

How CM's New Podcast Breaks the Taboo Around (Mental) Health
Talking about our problems remains difficult. So the question “How are you?” is usually answered with a simple “Fine, thanks.” But is everyone really that “fine”?

About the podcast

In a world of appearances and “cool” Instagram stories, it's easy to forget that everyone goes through something. You are not alone. Even when things aren't going smoothly, people should feel comfortable admitting it. Based on this idea, we collaborated with Leef, CM's health magazine, to create a podcast centered on (mental) health and the importance of making it debatable.

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The goal

Overall: to make health—and often overlooked mental health—more accessible to the public. There is still a strong taboo surrounding certain conditions or psychological issues, causing some people to feel that staying silent is easier than speaking up. The podcast seeks to break this silence by showing that everyone, including well-known Flemish personalities who are constantly in the spotlight, faces challenges and struggles.

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The process

The five-part podcast series offers an intimate, biweekly look into the life of a well-known Flemish personality. They address their problems and concerns in an open and honest way.

  • Starting May 27, you can hear how Sven de Leijer deals with his sleep problem.
  • Next is Lize Spit, who speaks openly about her diabetes and the impact the condition has on her daily life.
  • Worriers will undoubtedly relate to the testimony of Fatma Taspinar. In episode 3, she talks about doubt and insecurity.
  • Ben Segers also shares his story, challenging the stigma around bipolar disorder.
  • Ann Ceurvels takes listeners through her daily life as a caregiver for her son with an autism spectrum disorder.

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The results

Just one week after its launch, the podcast had already reached second place in the health category. With only one episode released, “What you didn't know about...” had already become one of the established names in the category, just behind Patient Pedro, which also ranks number one across all categories.

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We are already looking forward to the release of the next episodes and hope, above all, that the podcast will get people talking.

Credits

Production: Hanne Penninck & Anastassia Oudovitchenko

Preproduction, research, and editorial: Lara Braeken

Shoot, edit & mix: Wederik De Backer

Storycoach: Pieter Blomme  

Strategy & consultancy: Petra Beeckx & Jan D'hont

Host: Stephanie Lemmens (CM Health Fund)

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