BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Jun 14;24(1):444. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-05905-x.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Suicide prevention media campaigns are one way of reaching people at increased suicide risk who would otherwise not seek help. This is the first study of a Norwegian campaign directed both at individuals at risk for suicide and at their social network.
METHODS: We evaluated a media campaign consisting of outdoor posters, feature articles, film clips, and online banners in print, digital, and social media spread across the Mid-Norway region in late autumn 2022. This campaign material consisted of information about how to seek help for suicide thoughts and mental health problems and how to help a friend in similar situations. Before and after this campaign, 1149 adult individuals living in Mid-Norway participated in a survey on attitudes to suicide, mental ill health, and help-seeking.
RESULTS: There were only marginal changes in attitudes and help-seeking literacy after the campaign. This result was sustained when controlling for age, sex, and campaign visibility. For males, there were a few changes in the negative direction, i.e. lack of willingness to seek help from family and friends, after the campaign.
CONCLUSION: We conclude that the campaign did not seem to have the desired effect and suggest ways of improving future regional Norwegian media campaigns.
PMID:38877487 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-024-05905-x
