Research Appraisals

Depression and anxiety

Reducing Public Stigma Toward Suicide-Loss Survivors Through Brief Video Interventions: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Suicide-loss survivors (SLSs) experience substantial and often enduring psychological burden. These difficulties are compounded by public stigma, underscoring the need for scalable approaches to shift attitudes at the population level. In this study, we examined whether brief survivor-narrative videos can reduce public stigma of SLSs. METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial, 1351 adults (18-50) completed baseline measures and were allocated to view either a brief SLS narrative or a psychoeducational control. Public stigma toward SLSs and trait impressions were assessed at baseline and postexposure. RESULTS: Relative to control, the SLS video arm showed clear improvements immediately and at 30 days: stigma scores were lower and trait impressions more favorable, with attenuation over time. Item-level analyses indicated sizable immediate reductions for "Disconnected" (-24%) and "Cowardly" (-16%), and smaller but significant decreases for "Immoral" and "Irresponsible" (-12% each). CONCLUSIONS: Brief survivor-narrative videos can shift public attitudes toward SLSs and maintain part of that change over 1 month. As a low-cost, scalable complement to postvention, brief video contact offers a practical lever to improve the social climate surrounding SLSs. Deployed widely and reinforced over time, it can move communities from blame to empathy, strengthen everyday support, and advance survivors' recovery.