Messaging about suicide prevention in a large California county: It's up to us

Baseline surveys indicated that 40% of San Diegans did not know how to recognize warning signs for suicide. The San Diego County Department of Behavioral Health funded a five-year $8.4 million mass media campaign intended to reduce suicidal behavior, increase help seeking, counter negative stereotypes associated with mental illness, and reduce stigma. “It's Up to Us”, a multi-pronged media campaign, launched in 2010. The first wave focused on mental health, and included outreach and education to physicians. The second wave focused on suicide prevention, with an emphasis on effective messaging to and about middle-aged white men, who account for more than 50% of suicide deaths in the county. The approach was to address their issues as “tough times” rather than as mental illnesses, and the audience was encouraged to speak up, listen up, read up and link up in response. This session will describe the campaign, show some of the materials, describe results (web traffic, calls to the local crisis line) and discuss how this approach adheres to messaging recommendations for both safety and effectiveness.