Evaluating the Effectiveness in Initiating Help-Seeking Behaviors by Exposure to an Adult Male Public Service Announcement. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Reidenberg, Daniel; Berman, Alan
• Is Part Of: Archives of suicide research. Volume 26:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 304
• Page End: 312
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: Media -- public awareness campaigns -- suicide prevention; Suicide -- Periodicals; 179.7
• DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2020.1774453
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1381-1118

Abstract

Abstract: Numerous studies have demonstrated that PSA campaigns can be effective in increasing awareness/knowledge, attitudes, intentions to change behaviors, and ultimately behaviors; and the majority of suicide prevention PSAs encourage help-seeking behavior by the person at-risk and/or by those worried about a person who might be at risk of suicide. However, to date, only a handful of studies have evaluated the impact of suicide prevention [PSA] campaigns and no suicide prevention PSA campaign has examined whether behavior change occurs in response to short-term implementation of a suicide prevention PSA. The primary goal of this study is to determine whether exposure to short-term (1 month) suicide prevention PSA campaign results in a help-seeking behavior. Results offer initial, limited evidence that public awareness campaigns are effective at getting an audience to engage in a help-seeking behavior, however due to methodological limitations, the superiority of a PSA vs. a printed flyer was not able to be determined.