ROCKVILLE, Md., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), working in
collaboration with the Ad Council and the Inspire USA Foundation,
announced today the launch of a national public service
announcement campaign designed to reduce the incidence of suicide
and suicide attempts among teens in the United States.
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Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24
year-olds, following unintended injuries and homicide. While
suicides account for approximately 1.4 percent of all deaths in
the United States annually, they
comprise 12 percent of deaths among this age group. In 2006, 4,189
people between ages 15 and 24 died by suicide. Furthermore, for
every youth who died by suicide, it is estimated that 100-200
attempts are made.
"Suicide is a preventable tragedy," said SAMHSA Administrator
Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "That's
why we have made it an explicit part of our top priority at SAMHSA
-- prevention of substance abuse and mental illness. We are
aligning and bringing to bear the full force of our resources to
reduce the risk and increase the protective factors that are linked
with suicide. This new public service announcement campaign is a
critical step in raising awareness among young people that there
are places where they can turn for help.”
"Our new campaign with SAMHSA and Inspire USA connects with
teens by identifying with the various challenges they are facing,
while empowering them to cope by showing them how their peers have
made it through," said Peggy Conlon,
president and CEO of the Ad Council. "These ads and our online
resources will give teens hope and this campaign has the potential
to save many lives."
In an effort to provide support for teens who may be
contemplating suicide, SAMHSA and Ad Council launched the Teen
Suicide Prevention campaign. Created by DDB New York through the Ad
Council, the We Can Help Us effort includes television,
radio, print and interactive PSAs, as well as in-school and mall
posters, directed at 13-17 year-olds. The ads were based on the
understanding that teens face a myriad of problems and many are
seeking effective ways to cope with them.
The PSAs tell teens that they are not alone in their struggles
with emotional and mental health problems, and that other teens
have successfully worked through the same issues. Young
people seeking help are urged to visit www.reachout.com, where they
can hear success stories and strategies from teens.
The reachout.com Web site was developed by the Inspire USA
Foundation, an organization that seeks to promote the mental health
and wellbeing of young people. Reach Out integrates youth
generated, expert-reviewed information and real-life stories with
opportunities to connect with others in a supportive, safe
environment.
Issues covered include warning signs for suicide, depression,
eating disorders, as well as advice on relationships and coping
strategies. The site includes videos, audio stories and other
interactive features. Visitors can also view a series of animations
that bring to life stories submitted by teens. Teens' stories were
shared with animation studios around the world who each added their
unique artistic sensibilities to the animations, which also can be
shared as viral videos.
Each page on reachout.com includes a prominent call-out to the
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a
resource for individuals who are in crisis and need immediate help
and support.
"Walk into any American high school classroom and the odds are
that two of the young people before you will have attempted suicide
over the past 12 months," said Jack
Heath, president of the Inspire USA Foundation. "Through our
collaboration with SAMHSA and the Ad Council, the We Can Help
Us campaign can bring a message of hope to literally millions
of young Americans having a tough time."
“At DDB, we were motivated to do our part to further awareness
of the critically important issue of teen suicide,” said
Peter Hempel, president, DDB New
York. “The campaign creative is very positive in tone, to give
those affected a sense of hope at a very dark time in their lives,”
he added.
To extend the reach of the PSA campaign to teens nationwide, the
Ad Council and SAMHSA will be collaborating with Students Against
Destructive Decisions (SADD), National Organizations for Youth
Safety (NOYS) and a number of other youth and mental health
organizations. The campaign will also be promoted on social media
channels including Facebook www.facebook.com/Samhsa,
www.facebook.com/ReachOutUSA, www.facebook.com/AdCouncil) and
Twitter (www.twitter.com/samhsagov, www.twitter.com/AdCouncil), as
well as the Ad Council's new social media site,
MyAdCouncil.org.
SAMHSA (www.samhsa.gov) is a public health
agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance
abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a
private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the
advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the
media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities
to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on
behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies. The Ad
Council addresses issue areas such as improving the quality of life
for children, preventive health, education, community well-being,
environmental preservation and strengthening families.
Inspire USA Foundation
(www.inspireusafoundation.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit
established in San Francisco in
2007. Inspire's mission is to help young Americans lead
happier lives. Inspire takes a strength-based, public health
approach to its work with a focus on mental health promotion and
the prevention of high risk behavior, with a particular interest in
suicide prevention.
SOURCE The Ad Council