Suicide is one of the most common causes of mortality among young people. The California Department of Public Health has started a fresh effort to combat it since it is so dangerous.
Shailen Dawkins was fully committed to the aim of the Never A Bother campaign from the outset since he is aware of the seriousness of suicide.
Dawkins is one of the almost 400 young Californians who participated in the campaign by sharing their ideas, opinions, and feelings about how to effectively target the younger demographic.
“We really had a say in how the campaign looked and the messaging,” he stated. “Even down to simple things like colors on the website or how the website flowed.”
One of the groups engaged is the Sierra Health Foundation, where Matt Cervantes works. In order to attract young Californians, he added, the campaign would be promoted using social media, traditional advertising, and community outreach techniques.
There will be a strong emphasis on demographics that are allegedly disproportionately affected by suicide.
That is this campaign’s most lovely feature. It’s focused on kids,” Cervantes said. “Young people have involved in the campaign themselves, and it meets them where they are.” The spokespeople are creating material on social media and increasing awareness.”
The campaign aims to inform young people on where to look for support and that it is available to them, as they deserve it.
“There have been a lot of times, especially when I was younger, where I just didn’t know what to do,” Dawkins stated. “I didn’t know what resources to point them towards, and I think this campaign is vital because it allows people a gateway to resources.”
In California, between 2018 and 2022, suicide ranked as the second most common cause of death among adolescents aged 10 to 25. The rate of suicide among kids aged 10 to 18 increased by more than 20% between 2019 and 2020.