I’d Like to Tell You About a Good Friend of Mine. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
He’s a large part of why I’ve done this project. But out of respect I’ve changed his name and appearance.
This is Jacob. 1 2 3 4
He’s an amazing musician, with the skill of Debussey and the imagination or style of Animal Collective. He’s good about sharing stuff and won’t hesitate to let you in on some of his beers, smokes, and leftover pizza with you. The dude is always down to party, talk about your feelings, and help you move your couch into your living room. Like many, he’s been through tough times, but he won’t try to let it burden anyone.
On the flip side... 1 2 3 4
He has struggled with depression since he was roughly 14 years old, and is one of the biggest pessimists ever. He comes from a background of financial struggle, and does not have good control over his money. For the past two years, he has been struggling with alcoholism.
He needs people to be “happy,� yet he suppresses any and all issues until forced by me or our other friends.
FEAR, STRUGGLE, PRESSURE, OR CERTAIN MENTAL DISORDERS PUT PEOPLE LIKE JACOB AT A RISK:
SUICIDE.
Many are afraid of seeking professional help from someone. Silence puts them in
JEOPARDY.
On Aug. 19, 2012, Jacob told me that he was seriously considering suicide. I was pretty shocked.
We talked for hours. About the pressure he feels from his family and friends to succeed, how he has lost his passion in music, and the near complete loss of will to live or function in this society.
%
BUT HE ISN’T THE ONLY ONE THAT SUICIDE AFFECTS
RISING RATES
Since 2000, suicide rates per a 100,000 population have steadily increased.
GENDER
Men are nearly 4 times more likely to die by suicide. But Women actually attempt suicide 3 times as often as men.
% RACE
Caucasians have the highest rate of suicide at 13.5%.
BEING BLUE
90% of people who die by suicide have a diagnosable and treatable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death.
Thankfully, there are some that are concerned...
In 1987, a number of leading experts on suicide came together with business and community leaders and survivors of suicide to form AFSP, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. They believed that only a combined effort would make it possible to fund
A
nd so begins the story of AFSP.
the research necessary for progress in the prevention of suicide. Such an approach had proven successful with heart disease, cancer and diabetes and it was hoped that it would be successful in dealing with depression and suicide. Many of the original founders were concerned with the alarming rise in youth suicide over the past four decades. During this period, the suicide of young men had tripled; that of young women had doubled. Suicide is now the second major cause of death among high school and college students. Currently, suicide is even more frequent among older people. The highest rates are found in men over 50. Before AFSP was formed, there was no national not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding the
[ AFSP: The American Foundation
research and education programs necessary to
for Suicide Prevention ]
prevent suicide.
What does AFSP do?
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide. Their efforts are concentrated on every demographic in America afflicted by mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. What they do is valuable because above anything they provide readily accessible resources guided towards suicide prevention. Objectively, they function to bring down the overall rate of suicide through outreach and provision of information pertaining to potential suicide victims and again, anyone impacted by the act itself.. Subjectively, they function as a single, united national non-profit organization that aimed at peacefully and comfortably reaching out to victims in order to create a personable relationship with the affected parties. To achieve their goals, the AFSP has implemented five core strategies: funding of scientific research, offering educational programs for professionals, educating the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention, and promoting policies and legislation that impact suicide and prevention.
While the scope of resources is broad, but AFSP’s strengths lie mainly in the individual coming to them, rather than trying to reach out on a more personal level.
Why isn’t it the best?
? So then what’s the problem
AFSP’s strength of personal outreach is weak.
WHY Their execution is inconsistent.
WHY
The audience isn’t well defined
Their identity is generic
Tone of communication is alienating
Again, why? SIMPLY, IT’S ALL OVER THE PLACE, IN BOTH THE VISUALS AND THE VOICE.
PEOPLE IN JACOB’S SITUATION JUST AREN’T RECEPTIVE TO THIS KIND OF PERSONALITY.
So where d es AFSP fit? MINIMAL
ORNAMENTAL
DYNAMIC
STATIC
COMPLEXITY
PERCEIVED MOVEMENT
Visually and vocally it doesn’t make any leaps and bounds.
BEFRIENDERS
LIFELINE
STRONG
FAMILIES FOR DEPRESSION AWARENESS
TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS
DIVINE CAROLINE
WEAK
POTENCY
CHEAP
LUXURIOUS
SOPHISTICATION
It just maintains modesty to reach the average audience.
But it sh uld fit like this MINIMAL
ORNAMENTAL
DYNAMIC
STATIC
COMPLEXITY
PERCEIVED MOVEMENT
What it needs to have is a bolder, memorable style
BEFRIENDERS
LIFELINE
STRONG
FAMILIES FOR DEPRESSION AWARENESS
TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS
DIVINE CAROLINE
WEAK
POTENCY
CHEAP
LUXURIOUS
SOPHISTICATION
And do dynamic things that will make it distinguishable.
They need to shift their stylistic dimension and perception from...
ORNAMENTAL
A weird, stagnant middle ground... CHEAP
To something more resonant LUXURIOUS
COMPLEXITY
MINIMAL
SOPHISTICATION
BUT THIS SORT OF SHIFT CAN BE CHALLENGING BECAUSE
It’s been doing well at speaking to these people.
But it should also speak to these people.
It should be less general & alienating and be way more personal & connected.
“The resources AFSP provides allow
“By using the great resources AFSP
me to easily access information
provides, I can understand and
about suicide at any time.”
help prevent suicide.”
nctional Fu
“My membership in AFSP gives
“AFSP’s wide community gives me
me a good place to advocate
Social
“AFSP shares my concerns for
Mental
suicide prevention.”
confidence that my efforts will
people and the issues that exist in
“AFSP’s scale of outreach reassures me that people are willing to listen
Spiritual
their lives.”
raise awareness about the issue.”
and help one another.”
“Thanks to AFSP I am motivated
“I have drive to build stable
to take part in efforts that will
connections and my belief that
hopefully change the public
one doesn’t have to be alone is
opinion about suicide.”
reaffirmed through AFSP.”
BECAUSE CERTAIN QUALITIES NEED TO BE REINFORCED, LIKE:
CONNECTION,
UNDERSTANDING,
PRACTICALITY,
& EQUALITY
PRODUCT / BENEFIT Educating and understanding the factors that cause suicide in order to take measures that prevent it.
MISSION To assure users, victims, and survivors that one should not have to face personal problems alone.
POSITIONING For addressing nearly every
VISION All people, regardless if they
audience the issue of suicide
face emotional problems or not,
involves without preferential
should strive to build a connection
treatment towards anyone.
STYLING Equality, personableness, empathy, modesty, consideration, soothingness, connectivity
to one another.
VALUES Care, practicality, wisdom, guidance, casualness, relaxation, comfort
Basically, it should function like your favorite camp counselor or group leader.
To paint a portrait, he’s something kind of like this: Noah Chavez
Appearance: Puerto Rican, 5’10”, age 24 Place of Residence: Toronto, Canada Education: McGill University, majoring in Physical Therapy Occupation: Intern at Venture Academy Style: Typically business casual, but generally a laid back approach Hobbies: Concerts, rock climbing, disc golf, bowling, mandolin Dreams About: Being a superhero, saving people from falling off of cliffs
1 2 3
Someone that genuinely cares about you. Someone separate from the situation to see it in an objective way. Someone anyone can confide their secrets in.
Noah has lived in Toronto since he was 10 after his family moved there from Bayamón, Puerto Rico for his father’s job. Though he is currently trilingual (Spanish, French, English), it was difficult as a child to quickly make friends due to the initial language barriers. When Noah was 14, his father passed away from lung cancer, and his mother and younger brother underwent long periods of depression. Though he too was affected, he felt that as the oldest son he had a responsibility to fill the void of patriarchy in his family at an early age.
Noah has always been there for his friends, and always enjoys listening to them and helping to
solve their personal problems. When one of his closest friends unexpectedly committed suicide after their senior year of high school, he made it one of his private goals to understand the reasons behind it through the work of AFSP. He now advocates for the organization on his downtime.
But it’s more than just preventing suicide and leaving it at that.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
It also has to be about maintaining well-being and to keep people afloat.
We are the on crisis solvers to stick aroun keep getting
nly personal s that want nd if things rough.
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IMAGE PALETTE [ GRAPHICS ]
Avoid the temptation to say, “You have so much to live for.”
120 Wall Street, 29th Floor New York, NY 10005 Phone: [212] 363 3500 Email: inquiry@afsp.org
www.afsp.org
120 Wall Street, 29th Floor | New York, NY 10005
DAVID NORTON Chair
Phone: 212 363 3500 | Email: inquiry@afsp.org
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
www.afsp.org
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
120 Wall Street, 29th Floor New York, NY 10005
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The National Council for Suicide Prevention (NCSP) sent out a survey to four presidential campaigns: former Governor Mitt Romney (R), President Barack Obama (D), Jill Stein
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(Green) and former Governor Gary Johnson
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(Libertarian).
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE
How aware are you of the warning signs? Suicide can be prevented. While some suicides occur without any outward warning, most people who are suicidal do give warnings. Prevent the suicide of loved ones by learning to recognize the signs of someone at risk, taking those signs seriously and knowing how to respond to them.
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Afloat has developed The Truth about Suicide: Real Stories of Depression in College as an outgrowth of its commitment to support colleges and
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Suicide can be prevented. While some suicides occur without any outward warning, most people who are suicidal do give warnings. Prevent the suicide of loved ones by learning to recognize the signs of someone at risk, taking those signs seriously and knowing how to respond to them.
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OBSERVABLE SIGNS OF DEPRESSION
NOTABLE SITUATIONS TO LOOK OUT FOR
universities in implementing suicide prevention as an integral part of their ongoing campus activities and services. The aim of this 27-minute film is to present a recognizable picture of depression and other problems associated with suicide, as they are commonly experienced by college students and other young adults. Development and production of the film was made possible by generous gifts to Afloat by several families who have experienced the tragic loss of a son or daughter to suicide while they were in college. We wish to especially acknowledge the support provided to the College Film Project from the Jonathan Marc Goodstein Memorial Fund, the Larry Weinberg
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Survivor Outreach Program Through Afloat's Survivor Outreach Program, trained local volunteers are on hand to:
After a suicide, those left behind often:
2
Pessimism State of mind in which one anticipates undesirable outcomes or believes that the evil or hardships in
Increased Alcohol or Drug Use
life outweighs the good or luxuries
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REQUEST A VISIT
UPCOMING WALKS Simply contact your local Survivor Outreach Program Coordinator listed below.
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If you don't see your area listed, we can help you arrange a visit-by-phone.
Martin County
Contact survivingsuicideloss@afsp.org or call 212-363-3500, ext 2035 for info.
Inland Empire Long Island
NEBRASKA
> Want reliable information about suicide and its aftermath, but aren't sure
Laraine Peck, Volunteer
where to find it
(402) 496-0309, lpeck@tconl.com
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WALK TO SAVE LIVES In the United States, a person dies by suicide every 15 minutes, claiming more than 36,000 lives each year. It is
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Afloat is working hard to expand this program to as many local Chapters as possible.
> Wonder if there is anyone out there that understands > Need local resources for support
with day to day life.
TEEN SUICIDE PREVENTION
> Meet in person and visit with newly-bereaved survivors and their families. > Listen with compassion and offer reassurance that surviving a suicide loss is possible. > Recommend helpful things to read. > Provide information about support groups and other local resources.
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Unrelenting Low Mood Feelings of hopelessness making it difficult to cope
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estimated that an attempt is made every minute, with close to one million people attempting suicide annually. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. among adults 18-65, the second leading cause of death among teens and young adults, and individuals ages 65 and older account for 16 percent of all suicide deaths. This is a public
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WALK TO RAISE FUNDS AFSP funds research aimed at improving our understanding of suicide and ways to prevent it as well as educational programs to increase awareness about prevention, warning signs and the psychiatric illnesses that can lead to suicide. Walk to raise funds, find an event near you and register today!
Helena How do I request an outreach visit?
Mid Ohio Valley
Simply contact your local AFSP Survivor Outreach Program Coordinator. (See
Camden County
list below.) You'll be asked about your particular loss in order to match your request to a team of two trained volunteer survivors. Soon after, one of the
Oklahoma City Pine City
WALK TO HONOR LOVED ONES AFSP funds research aimed at improving our understanding of suicide and ways to prevent it as well as educational programs to increase awareness about prevention, warning signs and the psychiatric illnesses that can lead to suicide. Walk to raise funds, find an event near you and register today!
EVERY 40 SECONDS SOMEONE IN THE WORLD DIES BY SUICIDE.
IF YOU’RE ON THE BRINK RIGHT NOW,
EVERY 41 SECONDS SOMEONE IS LEFT TO MAKE SENSE OF IT.
We would like to sit down and hear why.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Be aware of the danger your loved one may face. END THE SILENCE AND VISIT www.afsp.org
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Understand that someone is always willing to listen. END THE SILENCE AND VISIT www.afsp.org
HO
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D EN
E NC ILE ES TH
END THE
SILENCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
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AISE FUNDS TO R
TO
HON
OR LOVED ON
ES
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JON DUONG VISC 520 DESIGNING FOR CHANGE FALL 2012 JEREMY SHELLHORN