MHA-NYC and National Suicide Prevention Month 2017
During September, National Suicide Prevention Month, MHA-NYC’s and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s #BeThe1To movement successfully illustrated to thousands the importance of being there for someone who may need it most. The five action steps provide useful tools that anyone can use, year round, to #BeThe1To prevent suicide.
Over 20,000 users visited bethe1to.com in September to learn more about these five steps, as well as download graphic kits, find shareable messages, watch stories of hope and recovery, and discover National Suicide Prevention Month events. Our custom graphics kits of the five steps were downloaded over 1,500 times, and our kick-off video with Dr. John Draper, Director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, was viewed over 273,000 times.
In addition to the #BeThe1To movement, rap artist and mental health advocate, Logic, continued to bring awareness with his hit single, “1-800-273-8255,” named after the Lifeline phone number. Since the release of his single in April, the musician has continued to show his support of the Lifeline and mental health services by performing his song with 50 suicide attempt survivors and loss survivors at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 27, 2017. Shari Sinwelski, Lifeline’s Associate Project Director, also participated in a panel about the song’s music video in the days after the VMA performance. The music video addresses suicide prevention through the story of an LGBTQ+ youth who struggles with his identity and suicidal ideation. Watch the panel here.
Thanks to the heightened public awareness of the Lifeline due to increased media and National Suicide Prevention Month, as well as a general increase in call volume compared to last year, the Lifeline experienced its highest-ever call volume during September 2017. After Logic’s performance at the Video Music Awards, the Lifeline saw a 50% increase in call volume in the hours after the show. Since the song’s release, the Lifeline website has also gained an extra 100,000 visitors per month. We are grateful for the impact of the public health message in Logic’s song, as well as the increased awareness of the Lifeline generated by MHA-NYC’s and our partners’ efforts throughout National Suicide Prevention Month.
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