Public Service Announcements to Change Attitudes about Youth Suicide: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Youth suicide is a major public health concern worldwide. Public service announcements (PSAs) may have a role in suicide prevention, as part of broader suicide prevention campaigns. Method: We conducted a double-blind four arm randomized controlled trial in which 18 to 24 year olds were allocated to watch one of three suicide prevention PSAs intervention PSAs or a control PSA. Participants provided data prior to viewing their allocated PSA and again four weeks after viewing it. Our primary outcome was a change in participants’ attitudes toward the preventability of suicide, and analysis was conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: A total of 349 participants were random..