CONSCIOUS: A Pilot Trial of a Media Orientation Intervention to Encourage Men's Help Seeking for Mental Health Difficulties

Media Orientation to Prevent Suicidal Ideation and Self Harm and Improve Help Seeking Behaviour: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

Mental health difficulties among males are an issue of public health concern. Men are also at higher risk of suicidal ideation and self-harm and are poor at help-seeking due to factors including stigma, cultural norms and gendered expectations of masculinity. Yet, in Nigeria, a significant gap remains in media orientation intervention to create awareness on symptoms of mental health difficulties and support channels to encourage help-seeking. In essence, the current study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of a novel intervention titled, psyChosOcial media awareNesS for SuiCIde symptoms, including other mental health PrOblems and help seeking mediUmS (CONSCIOUS) for addressing awareness of mental health difficulties in comparison to the waitlist control group for the purposes of improving men's help seeking, social support and reducing anxiety in Nigeria.

Inclusion Criteria:

• male, aged 18 years or above, able to provide full informed consent to aid their participation, able to speak the English language which is Nigeria language. able to take part in the intervention and are available for the intervention assessment at baseline and end of intervention.

Exclusion Criteria:

• less than 18 years old, unable to provide informed consent, undergoing severe mental health treatment and unable to speak the English language. Participants were also excluded if they are high risk social ideation or self-harm patients.