beyondblue and The Movember Foundation have got behind The Ripple Effect campaign to help reduce the stigma of rural suicide.
The Ripple Effect is an online tool allowing men from the farming community to work shoulder to shoulder in the fight against the stigma of rural suicide—turning the negative ripple of suicide into a positive ripple of support.
It will be available on multiple platforms—from personal computers to the latest smartphones and tablets—to ensure that everyone can connect and contribute.
beyondblue and Movember have support The Ripple Effect as one of six projects that use technology along with evidence-based techniques to show men that taking action on mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. The beyondblue and Movember partnership to fund these six projects is called The STRIDE project (Stigma Reduction Interventions: Digital Environments) and it will be a world-leading research project involving thousands of men, including former Australian rules footballers, farmers, refugees and fly-in-fly-out workers, which aims to end the embarrassment that stops men from getting help for conditions such as depression and anxiety.
This Ripple Effect is a partnership between beyondblue, Deakin University, the National Centre for Farmer Health, Western District Health Service, the Victorian Farmers Federation, AgChatOZ, Sandpit and the Mental Illness Fellowship of North Queensland.
Its primary objective is to reduce self-perceived suicide stigma through a 12-week digital intervention. It is envisaged that over time, the ripple effect of the program will also reduce personal and community suicide stigma and ultimately, assist with breaking the ongoing cycle of suicide risk.
More specifically, the project will:
- Males from farming communities will be encouraged to share their lived experience of suicide (through a number of available digital formats) with peers who have shared experiences and interests. This will allow participants to normalise their experience, reducing isolation and the belief that they are alone in their suffering.
- The program’s peer support framework will facilitate social connection and allow participants to seek support within a familiar and empathic environment.
- Experienced professionals will provide credible and appropriate information and support. This will assist in the breaking down of myths about suicide and facilitate pathways to appropriate support where required.
- Links will be available to grant participants access to further information and support services
- Participants completing the 12-week program will be offered the opportunity to become mentors for those participating in future programs.