Antonia Liguori / Participatory Storytelling

I am grateful to work with researchers from Teesside University who are partnering with Mens Minds Matter and Every man can CIC to create digital resources which aims to inspire hope and reduce thoughts of suicide in men. The project titled ‘Stories of hope’ uses digital storytelling methods to support men who have survived a period of mental health crisis to tell their story. The aim of the stories is to help give hope to other men who may be struggling with their mental health. In a review of published literature in the Lancet (2022), researchers from Austria found that sharing positive stories of recovery from mental health difficulties has a small but significant impact on thoughts of suicide in those who are living with these thoughts (Neidenkrotenthaler, 2022). This is called the ‘Papageno effect’ whereby the way that suicide is reported can have a positive or preventative impact on suicidal thoughts or behaviour. Best practice in this area is shared by the Samaritans Media Reporting Guidelines, and any sharing of stories on social or traditional media should consider their role in supporting suicide prevention through the way their share information: Samaritans’ Media Guidelines.