title: Research protocol for a digital intervention to reduce stigma among males with a personal experience of suicide in the Australian farming community.
abstract: Australian farming communities have up to twice the suicide rate of the general population. Men, particularly, demonstrate debilitating self- and perceived-stigma associated with an experience of suicide. The Ripple Effect is aimed to reduce suicide stigma within the social, cultural, geographical and psychological contexts in which it occurs.
  
  
  
  A mixed-method design with multi-level evaluation will be effected following the development and delivery of a personalised website experience (combining shared stories, education, personal goal setting and links to resources) to farming men, aged 30-64 years, with an experience of suicide. Pre- and post-surveys will be used to assess changes in self- and perceived-stigma and suicide literacy. Online feedback from participants and semi-structured interviews during follow-up will be thematically analysed.
  
  
  
  This project will provide information about increasingly accessible, innovative approaches to reducing the debilitating health and wellbeing effects of suicide stigma on a population of Australia's farmers.
  
  
  
  This research protocol was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) (ACTRN: ACTRN12616000289415 ) on 7thMarch, 2016.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Farmer Health/Deakin University, Tyers Street, Hamilton, VIC, Australia, 3300. alison.kennedy@wdhs.net.
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, School of Medicine, Deakin Rural Health (DRH), Princes Highway, Warrnambool, VIC, Australia, 3280.
authors.forename: Vincent Lawrence
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Versace
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Farmer Health/Deakin University, Tyers Street, Hamilton, VIC, Australia, 3300.
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Brumby
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D057545:Social Stigma; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: Australia; Digital intervention; Farmer health; Men; Mental health; Mixed method research; Rural health; Stigma; Suicide