HOPE MEANS NEVADA AND SILVERSUMMIT HEALTHPLAN’S SUICIDE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN CHARTS DRAMATIC INCREASE IN PROACTIVE MENTAL HEALTH ACTIONS
Hope Means Nevada (HMN), the community-based non-profit focused on eliminating youth suicide in the state, in partnership with SilverSummit HealthPlan (SSHP) recently completed a four-month-long suicide prevention campaign resulting in a dramatic increase in proactive mental health actions taken by its target audiences. With Nevada ranking as the worst state in the nation for prevalence of mental illness and low access to care, according to Mental Health America, HMN and SSHP created a research-informed messaging strategy to reduce youth suicide attempts by connecting low-income families in Clark and Washoe County with free and readily available mental health resources.
During the $1.5 million campaign funded by SSHP, which took place from July to October 2022, outreach efforts included messages across social media, digital and streaming platforms, traditional advertising and innovative ad placements. All communication drove English- and Spanish-speaking youth as well as their parents/guardians to seek free resources available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at mentalhealthresourcesnv.org.
Tasked with the challenge of reaching the elusive young male target audience, HMN and SSHP successfully reached both males and females almost equally through supplemental, male-targeted video game advertising and broadcast television sports advertising.
Results included more than 200 million campaign impressions, more than 184,000 website visits and more than 4,000 proactive mental health actions taken from the website. In addition, the campaign charted a 30% uptick in Nevada’s National Alliance on Mental Illness’s (NAMI) phone support and text lines. HMN and SSHP’s suicide prevention campaign also improved general awareness and the availability of mental health resources, resulting in a 103% increase in the prevalence of Google searches for topics surrounding mental health in Nevada.
“We couldn’t be more grateful for our partnership with SilverSummit HealthPlan and their willingness to tackle the epidemic of youth suicide in Nevada,” said Julie Murray, co-chair, Hope Means Nevada. “Over the course of the four-month-long campaign, we were able to create significant change throughout the state and save the lives of thousands of individuals desperately in need of free mental health resources.”
SilverSummit Healthplan President & CEO Eric Schmacker added: “We are pleased this campaign had positive results and made an impact. Normalizing the conversation around mental fitness is, in fact, suicide prevention. We are committed to reducing teen suicides in Nevada and backing the efforts that ensure these messages of hope find the youth that need to hear them.”
ABOUT SILVERSUMMIT HEALTHPLAN
SilverSummit Healthplan is a managed care plan that delivers quality health insurance to the people of Nevada. Established in 2017, SilverSummit is committed to improving the health of its members through focused, compassionate and coordinated care. SilverSummit’s active community evolvement reaches beyond physical and mental health. The plan is dedicated to improving the quality of life, one person at a time. SilverSummit Healthplan is a diversified healthcare organization that offers healthcare services through Nevada Medicaid, Medicare, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. For more information on SilverSummit Healthplan, visit www.silversummithealthplan.com.
ABOUT HOPE MEANS NEVADA
Hope Means Nevada is a community-based initiative focused on reversing the youth suicide trend in Nevada by inspiring a culture of empathy and advocacy around mental health. From the lasting impacts of COVID-19 to negative social media use, school shootings and other chaotic world events, many teens are experiencing heightened levels of stress, anxiety and depression. To raise overall awareness around Nevada’s high rates of mental health challenges and teen suicide, the organization provides teens with desperately needed resources and a community of hope. For more information about Hope Means Nevada, go to www.hopemeansnevada.org and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The new National Suicide Prevention Hotline number is now three-digit dialing code 988. Those experiencing a mental health emergency can also text “Home” to 741741 to reach the National Crisis Text Line.