Citation

Mirjanic M, Marusic A. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 91.

Affiliation

Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia, Trubarjeva 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia. (milan.mirjanic@ivz-rs.si)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16964016

Abstract

Background: The recent review of suicide prevention strategies (Mann et al, 2005) highlighted types of interventions that were evidenced to be effective. Since suicide behaviour is not attributable to one single cause, a holistic approach that integrates and qualitatively improves effective preventive interventions is needed. Objectives: To evaluate the possibility of implementing the social marketing approach in suicide prevention. Method: A systematic review of relevant publications related to the use of the social marketing approach in suicide prevention. Results: Social marketing has proven to be effective in tackling social issues via marketing behavioural change. Its conceptual perspective and inventory of tools (customer orientation, audience segmentation, marketing research, strategic planning, competitive positioning, etc.) could be implemented in suicide prevention. Since a big share of suicides is committed in a state of impaired cognitive functioning and due to a multifaceted, complex and often unclear set of behavioural determinants that lead to suicide, difficulties in marketing behavioural change to potential suicide attempters arise. Conclusions: Due to the limitations and hypothetical solutions (marketing behavioural change to secondary target groups; specific interventions aiming at different stages in the suicidal behaviour process) further investigation of social marketing implementation in suicide prevention is needed.

Language: en