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Know the Signs. Find the Words. Reach Out: Outcomes from a statewide suicide prevention campaign in California
Funded by counties through the Mental Health Services Act, and overseen by CalMHSA, Know the Signs is a statewide suicide prevention social marketing campaign designed to reach the general public with emphasis on helpers of white men and young Latinas, two populations at high risk for suicide.
Methodology:
A random digit dial survey (n=2003) indicated that confidence in the ability to discuss suicide with someone else significantly increased with knowledge of resources (e.g., a crisis line) and warning signs for suicide. The campaign logic model is based on this data and the Stages of Change model, resulting in messages aimed to increase Californians’ capacity to “know the signs”, “find the words” to help someone in crisis and “reach out” to local resources. Multi-faceted strategies included a statewide media buy incorporating print, broadcast and digital advertisements to drive visitors to English and Spanish language websites. Technical assistance was provided to county behavioral health agencies to implement the campaign locally, engage in media outreach, use social media, and strengthening local suicide prevention networks.
Results:
Over a period of four months 471,925 people visited the campaign websites; 23.5 million viewed online video ads; 720,378,821 media impressions reached over 52,468,000 people an average of 12 times; and 51 of the 58 counties had used at least one of the campaign materials. Results from a second RDD survey showed that 39% of Californians recalled one of the campaign specific messages, and 31% indicated seeing the message at least three times in the past month.
Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programsSocial and behavioral sciences
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health
Learning Objectives:
Describe strategies to engage and provide county agencies and community-based organizations with tools to implement a statewide social marketing campaign in their local communities
Differentiate between various approaches for reaching helpers as a strategy to prevent suicide
Assess how data informed the logic model, framework and messaging for the campaign.
Keyword(s): Social Marketing, Suicide
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Jana Sczersputowski has over 12 years of experience in developing, implementing and evaluating county and statewide community-based and school based social marketing campaigns. She has played an integral role in the development of the logic model and messaging for the campaign, the campaign implementation and evaluation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.