Changing Communications Practice Among Prevention Practitioners: The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Framework for Successful Messaging

Background: Communications has long been recognized as an important component of suicide prevention. The content of communications is critical, however, because of research evidence that some messaging about suicide can increase risk among vulnerable individuals. Recently, experts have called for a shift in public communications about suicide. Reviews have found that suicide prevention messaging (1) does not adhere consistently to safety guidelines; (2) focuses disproportionately on the problem of suicide, which can imply that suicide is a common response to adversity and impervious to help; and (3) often does not follow communications best practices, for example, using a data-driven planning process; integrating messaging into a broader plan; promoting specific behaviors in defined audiences; using audience research to inform messages, and evaluating outcomes.

Program background: In 2010, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) named "changing the conversation about suicide" one of its four initial priorities, which involves "leveraging the media and national leaders to change the national narratives around suicide and suicide prevention to ones that promote hope, help, connectedness, social support, resilience, treatment, and recovery.” This priority is being pursued via two separate but related pathways: 1) educating media professionals about safe messaging; and (2) reaching out to people working in suicide prevention and mental health promotion to improve public communications about suicide. A resource already exists for journalists entitled Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide. However, prior to the current effort, no parallel guidance existed for the prevention field. To fill this need, the Action Alliance developed the Framework for Successful Messaging, a research-based resource designed to translate knowledge into practice for the prevention field. Due to the diversity of messengers, goals, channels, and types of messaging, it was impractical to create content guidance. Instead, the Framework outlines four critical issues to consider when messaging to the public about suicide: strategy, safety, contributing to a “positive narrative” about suicide prevention, and using applicable guidelines. The central resource for the Framework is a website (launched in spring 2014) that defines each component, provides messaging tips, and includes an “examples gallery” showing various kinds of messaging (e.g. websites, blogs, social media posts, campaigns, press releases) and how each illustrates the Framework elements. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to “sign on” to the initiative to indicate their commitment to using the Framework principles.  

Evaluation Methods and Results: The guidance was developed using an intensive and participatory formative research process, including a literature review, expert panel, and soliciting feedback from diverse stakeholder groups throughout the development process, including website user testing. Early process measures and plans for outcome evaluation will be described.

Conclusions: Creating research-informed guidance is critical, but changing professional practice requires providing resources for implementing the recommendations. 

Implications for research and/or practice: Broad-scale efforts to change communication practice should engage stakeholders throughout the process to help define and shape the initiative and build in specific calls to action. Communications guidance should offer principles rather than messages in order to be flexible and adaptable to an array of messengers and purposes.