Suicide Prevention
“Human understanding is the most effective weapon against suicide”
– Edwin Schneidman, Ph.D., Founding President of the American Association of Suicidology
Education about suicide is the strongest tool towards prevention and saving lives. Suicide however, is a complex and sensitive subject which needs to be addressed with compassion and knowledge. This category has special content that must be included and specific content that must be avoided. See these documents, and the tips below, for more information.
This Public Service Announcement (PSA) will tie in to a statewide media campaign underway in California with the goal to increase the public’s knowledge about warnings signs for suicide, how to offer help and resources.
The “Must Haves”
The PSA should not be longer than 60 seconds.
Only the first 60 seconds of a video will be judged. Any videos which run longer than 60 seconds will not be judged upon their full content and will be at a disadvantage.
The PSA should not include portrayals of suicide deaths or attempts (such as a person jumping off a building or bridge, or holding a gun to their head).
Why?
Portraying suicide attempts and means, even in dramatization, can increase chances of an attempt by someone who might be thinking about suicide and exposed to the film. Submissions that include this type of content will be disqualified.
The PSA should not portray suicide as the inexplicable act of an otherwise healthy or high achieving individual but instead frame suicide as preventable. (Most individuals who are thinking about suicide usually show some warning signs.)
Example of content that should be avoided: “His life was perfect and no one will ever know why he took his own life.”
The PSA should be sensitive to racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation and gender differences, with all individuals realistically and respectfully depicted.
Tips for producing your Suicide Prevention PSA
The following tips are based upon the Official Contest Judging Form for this category.
Be Positive and Creative - Communicate a message that is positive and hopeful; creatively and accurately explore the complexity of this topic.
Many people have a tendency to think messages about suicide should be dark and subdued, using colors such as black, grey or red. Instead, remember this PSA contest is about suicide prevention and consider warm colors that communicate hope and life.
Educate and Encourage Action – To accomplish a positive message the PSA should include one or more of the following key messages.
- Suicide can be prevented.
- Most people show one or more warning signs, so it is important to know the signs and take them seriously.
- It is okay to break a friend’s trust and share your concerns with an adult if you think your friend might be thinking about harming him or herself.
- If a person talks about ending his or her life you should take him or her seriously and connect him or her to help.
- Asking someone “Are you thinking about suicide?” will not put thoughts of suicide in his or her mind. In fact, asking this direct question is important.
- You are not alone. Images and depictions of people struggling with thoughts of suicide often show them suffering alone in silence. The PSA should encourage people to reach out to a friend they are concerned about, or to tell an adult if they are concerned about someone.
Offer Help! The PSA should include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or another resource.
Why?
A key strategy to prevent suicide is to provide information about crisis and support resources. The PSA should list this resource: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or another crisis number or website.
Avoid statistics and statements that send the wrong message! – The PSA should not portray suicide or a suicide attempt as something that happens all the time or is the result of a single cause.
Examples of content that should be avoided:
- Use of statistics such as: “A person dies by suicide every 18 minutes” or “Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 18 to 24.”
- Showing people who died by suicide as role models
- “She was bullied to death.”
- “He killed himself over a broken heart”
- “After the things he saw as a soldier in war, I’m not surprised he killed himself”
- “He killed himself because he didn’t get into the college he wanted.”
- “His life was perfect and no one will ever know why he took his own life.”
Use Appropriate Language When Addressing Suicide
Use: “died by suicide”,” took their own life” not “committed suicide”
- Use of the word commit can imply crime/sin.
Use: “completed or attempted suicide” not “successful, unsuccessful attempt”
- There is no success, or lack of success, when dealing with suicide.
Be Respectful – The PSA needs to be sensitive to racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation and gender differences, with all individuals realistically and respectfully depicted.
Suicide Warning Signs for Youth
Warning signs are indications that someone may be at risk for suicide, either immediately or in the near future.
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Hopelessness
- Isolation, loneliness
- Low self-esteem
- Significant personality change
- Dramatic mood changes
- Unusual neglect of personal appearance
- Frequent complaints about physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomachaches, fatigue, etc.
- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
- Increasing use of alcohol or other drugs
- Putting his or her affairs in order (for example giving away favorite possessions, or throwing away important belongings, etc.)
- Becoming suddenly cheerful after a period of depression (this could be a sign that a person has made a suicide plan)
The following is a list of emergency warning signs that require immediate action!
- Threatening self-harm or suicide
- Person is in act of self-harm or suicide
- Person has a weapon or other lethal means
- Seeking weapons or means to self-harm
- Talking about death or suicide while acting agitated or anxious, or while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
If you think someone might be at risk for suicide, you need to seek help from a trusted adult immediately, or call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
Eliminating Stigma
This competition is all about tapping into your artistic ingenuity to help change attitudes and behaviors that stigmatize persons with mental illness. Research tells us that anyone can have a mental illness, and persons with a mental illness are just like other people. They have families, go to school, have jobs, and enjoy socializing with friends. Yet all too often they are discriminated against, bullied, made the butt of jokes, and are treated as less worthy than others. The focus of your video should be about how peers can be supportive of a peer who is coping with a mental illness. Your video needs to empower teens and young adults to help end stigma by reaching out and supporting those who struggle.
This Public Service Announcement (PSA) will tie in to a statewide media campaign underway in California with the goal to increase teen and young adult empathy and support for peers with mental illness. See the Official Contest Judging Form and the guidelines and tips below to develop an effective PSA for this topic. We have included the possible points associated with different content elements. The total number of points possible for the content score is 75.
The “Must Haves”
The PSA should not be longer than 60 seconds
Only the first 60 seconds of a film will be judged. Any films which run longer than 60 seconds will not be judged upon their full content and will be at a disadvantage.
The PSA should have a positive message that focuses on how peers can help each other. (Acknowledging that stigma exists is important, but what we want to see are positive solutions to the problem of stigma, so be careful not to dwell too much on the problem).
The PSA should focus on people aged 14 – 24.
The PSA should be sensitive to racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation and gender differences, with all individuals realistically and respectfully depicted.
Tips to Producing Your Eliminating Stigma PSA
The following tips are based upon the Official Contest Judging Criteria for this category.
Be Positive – Communicate a message that is positive and hopeful.
Educate – To accomplish a positive message your PSA should clearly express one or both of the following :
(1) Anyone can have a mental illness
(2) People who have been diagnosed with a mental illness are more like me than different from me
Encourage Action – Show how peers can help end stigma by standing up for those with mental illness who are being harassed, bullied, excluded or in some other way discriminated against. This may include interactions in online communities.
Be Creative – The PSA should creatively explore the complexity of stigma and peer response. This is the chance for you as a filmmaker to show the judges your artistic ingenuity. Go for it!
Be Respectful – The PSA needs to be sensitive to racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation and gender differences, with all individuals realistically and respectfully depicted.
Here are some additional facts you might find helpful
The Truth About Mental Illness and Stigma – Facts
(Adapted from www.stopstigmasacramento.org)
Mental illness affects every ethnic, racial, economic, religious and age group. Roughly one in every four adults will experience a diagnosable mental illness during their lifetime. Nearly one out of every five children will experience emotional or behavioral difficulty.
FACT: Like heart disease or diabetes, research shows that mental illness is often a medical condition that calls for proper treatment, support and education.
FACT: Two-thirds of people with a diagnosable mental illness never seek professional help. Many do not know where to go, don’t realize their condition is treatable or fear discrimination.
FACT: Mental health stigma and discrimination against persons with mental illness is widespread and reaches all segments of society. This includes, but is not limited to, institutions of learning, employment, housing, health care settings and the media.
FACT: Stigma and discrimination can cause shame, despair, prejudice, hopelessness and ultimately prevent people living with mental illness from seeking treatment.
FACT: Self-stigma prevents up to 60% of those with mental illness from seeking treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who suffer from chronic, untreated depression may die up to 25 years earlier than someone in the general population.
FACT: Roughly 50% of those with severe mental illness are also affected by substance abuse. Living with both disorders significantly increases the stigma and discrimination often resulting in social isolation.
