In May 2019, the Mental and Behavioral Health Workgroup hosted the movie Suicide: The Ripple Effect in Lee’s Summit. The movie follows the story of Kevin Hines, a man who survived an attempt to take his own life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Today, Kevin is a mental health advocate and motivational speaker.
The movie focuses on healing and hope, and encourages anyone who might be dealing with mental illness to reach out and get help. It also encourages everyone to take the time to check in with their family and friends, and to help reduce the stigma by talking about mental health.
Many of our partners purchased tickets so that their clients, staff, and families could attend. We also had a table of local resources available for those interested in mental health services, and a licensed professional on site for anyone who may have felt like they needed to talk to someone after viewing the movie.
Additionally, we surveyed movie-goers both before and after the movie to get their feedback. Survey results were generally positive, with almost all statements seeing a significant increase in an encouraging direction after seeing the movie. For example, the number of moviegoers who strongly agreed with the statement “If I did access professional support with regards to my emotional distress, I would be confident it would help” increased from only 22% before the movie, to 60% after the screening.
If you’re interested in seeing Suicide: The Ripple Effect, it’s now available for purchase or rental here. Or, groups can host a screening at their local theatre like we did- click here for more information. For our next movie night, our workgroup plans to host a screening of Not My Child with local schools. Check our blog for updates soon!
