Designing Campaigns Toward Veterans at Risk for Suicide Following Separation From Military Service

Background: Veterans separating from military service are at disproportionate risk for suicide underscoring the need for strategies to increase treatment seeking among this group. Public health campaigns are a popular community-level strategy used to facilitate help seeking in veteran populations. Yet current knowledge of what types of messages effectively change related behaviors among at-risk veterans is extremely limited. Aims: The primary objective of this study was to identify feasible, acceptable public messages that increase the likelihood for treatment seeking among at-risk veterans surrounding military separation. Method: Semistructured telephone interviews (N = 21) were conducted with at-risk veterans recently separated from the military from July 2021 to July 2022. The interview guide examined the mechanisms of persuasive communication. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a constant comparison analytic strategy. Results: Acceptable suicide prevention messages involved authentic veteran stories of seeking help to better navigate life stressors experienced during transition. Messages were believed to be particularly effective if framed to support the veteran in making informed decisions about their own health. Possible adverse responses were also reported. Limitations: Findings are subject to several biases inherent to qualitative methods and are not generalizable to the larger targeted population. Conclusion: This study points to promising messaging areas as well as potential obstacles for effectively promoting help seeking during separation from military service.