Who notices suicide prevention media campaigns? Demographic characteristics and attitudes to suicide and help-seeking

Public media campaigns have the potential to reach large numbers of people with suicide prevention messages. However, relatively few individuals among the exposed population report being aware of the campaigns when they occur. Those who notice these campaigns may differ from those who do not in key variables relevant for suicide prevention interventions. In this study, we compare the demographic characteristics and attitudes to suicide and help-seeking in these two groups. In 2022 and 2023, three regional uniform suicide prevention media campaigns were carried out in Mid-, West- and South-Norway. Before and after each campaign, sex- and age-representative samples of the population completed surveys of demographic variables and attitudes to suicide and help-seeking. Among the 3234 participants, n=644 (20%) reported having noticed the campaign, and n=2590 (80%) did not. In the campaign awareness group, there were significantly fewer members in the 30-39 age bracket and more members in the 70-79 age bracket than among the non-aware group. Moreover, the campaign awareness group had a higher proportion of people with MA level education, in retirement, and who had family members or friends who had died by suicide or attempted suicide. In this group, there was also slightly higher preparedness to help a suicidal person. The effect sizes were small. Logistic regression analyses revealed not belonging to the 30-39 age bracket and having family/friends with suicidal behaviour as significant predictors of campaign awareness. We conclude that the suicide prevention media campaigns described here seemed to reach only certain segments of the population.