The following is a summary of “Change in attitudes after a suicide prevention media campaign in the Mid-Norway region,” published in the June 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Mohn et al.
Suicide prevention campaigns are a way of reaching people at increased suicide risk who might be hesitant to seek help.
Researchers conducted a prospective study evaluating Norway’s first campaign targeting individuals who were at-risk and their social networks.
They conducted a media campaign in late autumn 2022 across Mid-Norway, using outdoor posters, articles, film clips, and online banners. The campaign aimed to educate on seeking help for suicide and mental health issues and supporting friends in similar situations. After this campaign, 1149 adult individuals were surveyed before and after the campaign on suicide attitudes and help-seeking.
The results showed that after the campaign, there were minimal changes in attitudes and knowledge about seeking help. These findings were based on age, sex, and the campaign’s visibility. Specifically, among males, there were some slight negative shifts, such as less willingness to seek help from family and friends.
Investigators concluded that the campaign didn’t achieve its intended impact and proposed improvements for future regional Norwegian media efforts.
Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-05905-x
