Focusing on tangible ways to help in messaging

The SafeSide Program is carefully designed to focus on a recovery-based model that provides people with a common language to help someone struggling. 

You may have noticed that we don’t reference statistics about suicide and ill mental health. That is intentional. 

A recent randomised controlled trial by Till and colleagues (2024) found that narratives that emphasise the prevalence of suicide in society tend to leave readers with the thought that “suicide is prevalent”, whereas messages that focus on the help people can receive or on the fact that suicide is preventable leave readers with thoughts connected to these messages. 

Notably, participants who read an article that was focused on the concept that “everyone can help” had the lowest suicidal ideation and strongest overall cognition relating to helpful concepts (see also Niederkrotenthaler et al., 2014). 

Bottom line: Statistics about suicide are often included in messaging with the well-meaning goal of driving awareness about the issue and motivating people to get behind the prevention movement. However, sharing these numbers can normalise suicide and reinforce the message that suicide is prevalent. 

It is more important to champion messages that emphasise that suicide is preventable and that everyone can help, which are more solution-focused, empowering, and actionable. If statistics about prevalence are shared, they should be used sparingly and strategically.