I partnered with Shasta County Health & Human Services Agency (SCHHSA) on a recent campaign aimed at destigmatizing mental illness among men. Suicide is among the leading causes of death in the United States, especially among white men. In fact, men die by suicide 3.53x more often than women, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. One of the reasons for the increased risk is the stigma surrounding mental illness for adult men – the “man up” mentality of treating feelings as weaknesses and not asking for help. SCHHSA wanted a series of billboards, bus shelter ads, and online display ads that would be approachable and uplifting, while speaking to the threat of untreated mental illness in middle aged men. In short, something that would appeal to men and ease the process of them seeking information or help. My role was to come up with campaign headlines and one-liners. Some of the bullet points I was given to work with:
