Are there existing communication campaigns that focus on your message and can effectively reach your audience? Suicide prevention campaigns in the larger field often focus on the following purposes:
- Raising awareness about the problem of suicide
- Educating about the warning signs of suicide
- Increasing help-seeking behavior
- Empowering the community to recognize and support people experiencing a mental health crisis
- Reducing stigma related to mental health and suicide
If your campaign’s purpose is any of the above, scan national and state campaigns on suicide prevention for ones you might be able to use in your community. See a partial list of national suicide prevention campaign sources below. Make sure any campaign you choose will be able to reach your chosen audience effectively.
If you cannot find a campaign that fits your intended audience, including their culture and needs, consider adapting existing campaign materials or creating your own local campaign. Many national campaigns provide frameworks, guidance, and resources to support local adaptations of their messaging.
Note: Be sure to check with a campaign’s authors before you adapt it.
Sources of National Suicide Prevention Campaigns and Links to Campaign Information
General Campaigns
Campaigns for Specific Demographic Groups
Awareness Day/Week/Month Campaigns
- American Association of Suicidology: Media (suicide prevention week/month)
- Mental Health America: May (Mental Health Awareness Month)
- National Council for Suicide Prevention: WSPD (World Suicide Prevention Day)
In addition to checking for national sources of campaigns, check your state-level contacts, websites, and resources to see if they have suicide prevention campaigns that will work for your audience. Visit sprc.org/states to learn more about your state’s suicide prevention efforts and to contact your state suicide prevention lead with campaign-related questions.
Before committing to doing a campaign, consider if your group has the time, skills, and resources to adapt or create, promote, and evaluate it. Determine your partners’ experience in developing campaigns, their access to social media and communication platforms, and their connections to local media outlets. Factor all of this into your decision. If adapting or creating a campaign is not the way to go, and no national campaign is appropriate as it currently exists, consider a different strategy to reach your goal.