Abstract
BackgroundAustralian farming communities have up to twice the suicide rate of the general population. Men, particularly, demonstrate debilitating self- and perceived-stigma associated with an experience of suicide. The Ripple Effect is aimed to reduce suicide stigma within the social, cultural, geographical and psychological contexts in which it occurs.MethodsA mixed-method design with multi-level evaluation will be effected following the development and delivery of a personalised website experience (combining shared stories, education, personal goal setting and links to resources) to farming men, aged 30–64 years, with an experience of suicide. Pre- and post-surveys will be used to assess changes in self- and perceived-stigma and suicide literacy. Online feedback from participants and semi-structured interviews during follow-up will be thematically analysed.DiscussionThis project will provide information about increasingly accessible, innovative approaches to reducing the debilitating health and wellbeing effects of suicide stigma on a population of Australia’s farmers.Trial registrationThis research protocol was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) (ACTRN: ACTRN12616000289415) on 7th March, 2016.
Highlights
Australian farming communities have up to twice the suicide rate of the general population
Follow-up semi-structured qualitative interviews with a small number of participants will investigate a) the further impact of the Ripple Effect on selfstigma and perceived-stigma, complementing and adding richness to the quantitative data in order to more clearly define what is helpful in reducing suicide stigma [12], and b) the experience of participating in the Ripple Effect
Learning and reporting about what works to reduce self-stigma and perceived-stigma associated with an Discussion Digital media is becoming a powerful instrument for rural people in breaking down barriers of rural isolation, allowing for engagement and social interaction
Summary
A mixed-method design with multi-level evaluation will be effected following the development and delivery of a personalised website experience (combining shared stories, education, personal goal setting and links to resources) to farming men, aged 30–64 years, with an experience of suicide. Pre- and post-surveys will be used to assess changes in self- and perceived-stigma and suicide literacy. Online feedback from participants and semistructured interviews during follow-up will be thematically analysed
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