Workforce suicide is a growing public health crisis, particularly among those in physically demanding, high-stress industries.
From May through June 2025, Region Five’s network of nine Community Services Boards launched a coordinated media campaign with WTKR to raise awareness and connect high-risk workers to critical suicide prevention resources.
About the Campaign
The 2025 Workforce Suicide Prevention Campaign was a regional initiative created by Region Five’s prevention council to target industries disproportionately impacted by suicide. These include agriculture, fishing, transportation, manufacturing, shipbuilders and construction sectors with some of the highest suicide rates in the country.
The campaign utilized a media strategy grounded in behavioral data: blue-collar workers are heavy consumers of broadcast TV and respond to it more than digital and social media, making it the most effective outreach channel for this audience. By pairing emotionally resonant messaging with smart media placement, the campaign was able to meet people where they are.
Watch the campaign’s 30 commercial here: https://youtu.be/vprZ5lAxZQc
Campaign Highlights
- Linear TV ads on high-viewership channels such as News 3
- A sponsored “Coast Live” segment to expand reach
- Streaming TV and hyperlocal display ads targeting workers in high-risk industries
- 300,000 digital impressions on WTKR.com
- A homepage takeover during Mental Health Awareness Month
These efforts focused on zip codes with the highest suicide rates and workforce density, ensuring that messaging aligned with local data and audience behaviors.
Why This Matters for Prevention
Suicide prevention messaging must evolve with our data and adapt to reach underrepresented audiences. Region Five’s campaign serves as a model for using media consumption insights to connect with high-risk workforce populations in authentic and accessible ways.
By lifting up real stressors like job insecurity, physical labor, and limited access to care, we move closer to reducing stigma and normalizing help-seeking behavior across these essential sectors.
Participating Region Five CSBs:
- Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Healthcare
- Colonial Behavioral Health
- Eastern Shore Community Services Board
- Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board
- Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck CSB
- Norfolk Community Services Board
- Portsmouth Behavioral Healthcare Services
- Virginia Beach Department of Human Services
- Western Tidewater Community Services Board
Connect with Region Five
- Website: https://region-five.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Region5VA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/region5va/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnBcg6lGzm94li_2Lsonhhw
