Prevention Public Service Announcements Research Articles

563 Fire safety in homeless encampments

IntroductionIt is well known that people experiencing homelessness are at a greater risk for burn injury. Our burn centre saw an increase in admissions of homeless individuals during the pandemic. Typically, we partner with our hospital’s communications staff to share burn prevention public service announcements. But our usual method of broadcasting information through media like newspapers, blog posts, Facebook, or Instagram was not necessarily going to reach people sleeping rough. This report describes the development of a partnership between a burn centre, outreach workers, and people with lived experience of homelessness to improve fire safety in encampments.MethodsOur goal was to create a Fire Safety Manual and hold Fire Safety Training Sessions. We conducted surveys that asked encampment residents questions like, “What do you use fires for?” “What fire hazards do you see at encampments?” and “How do you think fires could best be prevented?”. We used the results of this survey to guide the training manual and held workshops to engage encampment residents and incorporate feedback into the manual.ResultsThe manual uses harm reductions strategies and focuses on real-life situations encountered by folks living outdoors—the manual outlines how to safely start a fire and what to do if a fire occurs. The reality is that people are trying to survive freezing winters while sleeping outside; this means that some safety standards are not possible, and the guide had to reflect that. For example, we practiced fire escape plans during training sessions and had to think about obstacles like tents with only one way out. A solution was to keep a utility knife inside and outside the tent in case one had to cut through to escape or free someone. An encampment resident suggested hiding the knives so they would not be used as weapons. We purchased fire extinguishers, fire blankets, and first aid kits that we distributed during training.ConclusionsEducation is critical to prevent burn injuries. Burn centre staff may be experts on burn prevention, but we are not experts on surviving outside. We have to be accountable to this community. This means listening, building trust, and partnering with people living outdoors. People who did training sessions were empowered to start fire brigades in their encampments. Crucial concepts are to meet people where they are and always to include people with lived experience: “Nothing about us without us.”

Suicide Prevention Public Service Announcements.

Background: Suicide prevention public service announcements (PSAs) help to disseminate information about suicide and help-seeking options. However, little is known about how individuals at risk for suicide recall PSAs. Aims: The current project assessed which features of suicide prevention PSAs are recalled by young adult participants and whether there are differences between those who are at low or high risk for suicide. Method: Participants (N = 140) viewed a simulated suicide prevention billboard that consisted of a main message, help-seeking message, and graphical features. Participants provided written recollections of the billboard features approximately 15 min post-viewing, which were coded and analyzed. Results: High-risk participants were significantly less likely than low-risk participants to include a description of the help-seeking message in their written recall. Few group differences were noted in the recall of the main message or graphical features. Limitations: Recall was limited to short-term recall based on a single exposure. Efforts to enhance internal validity (e.g., measurement of suicide risk) and external validity (e.g., a balanced sample regarding sex and race) are recommended. Conclusions: Results suggest that new tactics may need to be considered when developing suicide prevention messages, including crafting help-seeking messages that are more easily committed to memory for target audiences.

Suicide Prevention Public Service Announcements (PSAs): Examples from Around the World

ABSTRACTMedia campaigns have received increased attention as an intervention for combating suicide. Suicide prevention campaigns involving public service announcements (PSAs) have not been well described and have been subject to minimal evaluation. This study aimed to identify suicide prevention PSAs from around the world and analyze and describe their content. We searched the Internet for short, English-language PSAs that had been screened as part of suicide prevention campaigns and identified 35. Most commonly, these PSAs focused on the general population and/or people who might be at risk of suicide, and had a particular emphasis on young people. Almost 60% promoted open discussion about suicide, around 50% indicated that the life of a suicidal person was important, about 40% acknowledged the suffering associated with suicidal thoughts and feelings, about 25% stressed that suicide is preventable, and about 20% focused on the devastating impact of suicide for those left behind. Most PSAs promoted some sort of support for people at risk of suicide, usually a helpline or website. Although these messages appeared appropriate and practical there is a lack of research on the impact that they may have on people with varying degrees of suicide risk. Further work is needed to ensure that they are consistent with theories of behavior change, and that they are having their desired impacts.

When Distant Others Matter More: Perceived Effectiveness for Self and Other in the Child Abuse PSA Context

Perceived effectiveness (PE) has been studied as an important antecedent of persuasion. But judgments of PE may vary its persuasive impact depending on whom people think about as message referents. This study explores PE judgment for both self and different others as well as their independent roles in the persuasion process. Theoretical rationales are drawn from the third-person effect and its contingent concepts regarding perceived media effects. A study was conducted among 355 participants who evaluated two child abuse prevention public service announcements (PSAs). They estimated that the average American parent judged the PSAs more favorably than their close peer or themselves. Structural equation models indicate that self's and close-peer's PE judgment led to persuasion for one PSA (“Wonders”), while the target's PE judgment affected persuasion for another PSA (“Awareness”). These results suggest a potential moderating role of message characteristics in self–other PE judgments and their consequences.

Suicide Prevention Public Service Announcements

Determining optimal methods for preventing suicide continues to be an elusive goal. The study examines benefits and possible untoward effects of public service announcements (PSAs) for young adults. Young adult participants (N = 279) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) a billboard simulation, (b) a 30-s TV ad simulation, and (c) a no-information condition. Largely replicating a study previously conducted with adolescents, the results provided some evidence of the benefit of the simulated TV ad (e. g., increased knowledge, perceived as useful), but it also provided some evidence of untoward effects for the billboard (e. g., viewers were less likely to endorse help-seeking strategies, normative beliefs were altered for high-risk participants). These results are preliminary but nevertheless highlight the need for carefully researching existing messages prior to market diffusion, so that the well-intended efforts of preventionists can meet their desired goals.

Adolescent Processing of Social and Physical Threat Communications

Abstract Using the predictions of the ordered protection motivation model (OPM), the authors examined 371 adolescents' reactions to physical and social threat appeals in drug prevention public service announcements. Sensation seeking was also included in the experiment and analysis. In support of the notion that the social implications of a response to a threat message influence the message's effectiveness, social threat communications were more persuasive than physical threat communications. Sensation seeking emerged as an important variable moderating response to threat communications, supporting the argument that responses may be due to factors other than the communication itself. In contrast to the argument that fear arousal is a prerequisite for effective response to threat messages, the authors found fear arousal unnecessary for persuasion to occur. The implications of the findings for the effectiveness of public service announcements are discussed.

Can You Say Condom?: It Makes a Difference in Fear‐Arousing AIDS Prevention Public Service Announcements1

The study investigated the effect of adding a recommendation to use condoms to fear‐arousing AIDS public service announcements (PSAs) on subjects’ intentions to use condoms and taking of free condoms. Sexual content of the AIDS PSA and subject gender were also varied. A sample of 112 men and 107 women rated the effectiveness of 1 of 8 fear‐arousing AIDS PSAs. Four PSAs ended with a message to “Use condoms to reduce the risk. For more information call_____.” An identical set of PSAs ended with only the telephone number for more information. Results showed that the recommendation had no effect on intentions to use condoms. However, men exposed to a fear‐arousing PSA with the recommendation took significantly more condoms than men in the no‐recommendation condition. Men also took significantly more condoms than women in the recommendation condition. The results are interpreted in terms of the AIDS risk reduction model (Catania, Kegeles, & Coates, 1990).

Toward More Effective Televised Anti-Drug PSAs

Historically, drug prevention public service announcements (PSA) campaigns have been ineffective in preventing drug use due to ineffective targeting and inappropriate message selection. The purpose of this paper is to address why drug prevention campaigns have failed, and to suggest ways to design more effective campaigns.

The Dissemination and Content of Drug Prevention Public Service Announcements

Drug Prevention public service announcements (PSA) campaigns have historically been unsuccessful, in part because of dissemination problems and a lack of targeting and message development. This study looked at one week's television programming to address the dissemination issue. Content analysis was used to discern the target and type of appeals used in drug prevention PSAs. Implications for future research to aid PSA developers in creating effective PSAs are discussed.