TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2024//
TI  - Change in attitudes after a suicide prevention media campaign in the Mid-Norway region
JO  - BMC psychiatry
A1  - Haga, Egil
A1  - Mehlum, Lars
A1  - Mohn, Christine
A1  - Pirkis, Jane
A1  - Nilsson, Hanne Sofie Wernoe
SP  - e444
EP  - e444
VL  - 24
IS  - 1
N2  - 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. <br><br>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. <br><br>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. <br><br>CONCLUSION: We conclude that the campaign did not seem to have the desired effect and suggest ways of improving future regional Norwegian media campaigns.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1471-244X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-05905-x
ID  - ref1
ER  -