The Science of Public Health Messages for Suicide Prevention: A Workshop Summary

October 2003 The Science of Public Health Messages for Suicide Prevention: A Workshop Summary With the launch of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention in 2001, the U.S. government identified reduction in suicide as a high priority public health issue. In response, suicide prevention groups, as well as federal and state programs, have launched public messaging campaigns designed to increase awareness that suicide is preventable. However, few of these initiatives have empirically tested whether, by what mechanisms, and in what contexts these campaigns reduce the incidence of attempted or completed suicide. Of particular concern is the apparent lack of . . .