Alison Kennedy|Susan Brumby|Vincent Versace|Tristan Brumby-Rendell
The ripple effect: a digital intervention to reduce suicide stigma among farming men
Deakin University|Deakin University|Deakin University
compared general population australian farmersparticularly menhave identified greater risk suicide complex range factors thought contribute risk including experience stigma stigma also impacts attempted suicide carers bereaved suicidemanifesting shame guilt social isolation concealment death reduced help seeking ongoing risk suicide paper evaluates effectiveness intervention tailored farming context designed reduce stigma among farming men lived experience suicidethe digital intervention used adult learning model providing opportunity share insights reflect learn apply new knowledge among people shared farming interests suicide experience cultural context range contenttailored gender farming type suicide experience participantsincluded video stories postcard messages education personal goal setting pre post assessment suicide stigma literacy complemented qualitative data collection intervention participant feedback surveysthe intervention successful reaching members target group across australias rural communitieswith diverse geographic locations farming industries represented one hundred sixtynine participants target group farming males aged 3064 years recruited stigma suicide scale failed identify reduction self perceivedstigma qualitative data participant feedback identified behavioural indicators stigma reduction four subthemesgrowth new realisations hope encouragementhighlighted attitudinal behaviour change indicative reduced stigma associated mental health suicide participants baseline suicide literacy literacy suicide scale high compared previous community samples total literacy scores demonstrate significant improvement time although literacy link suicide alcoholism significantly improvethese results highlight opportunities groups high suicide literacy targeted stigma reduction suicide prevention efforts target group populations within australia internationally results also highlight need reassess stigma change understood evaluated across wider range population groupsthis research project registered australian new zealand clinical trials registry anzctr actrn12616000289415 7th march 2016