laughingsquid.comMan Therapy
Also: Dr. Rich Mahogany
Humorous online suicide-prevention campaign launched in Colorado in July 2012 for working-age men, built around a fictional therapist, Dr. Rich Mahogany, who offers a self-screening, self-help tips and links to crisis lines and therapists.
- Years
- 2012–now
- Country
- United States
- Topic
- Mental healthSuicide prevention
- Asks people to
- RecognizeSeek help
- Strategy
- HumorMascotSelf efficacyService link
- Channel
- OutdoorRadioSearchSocial (paid)
- Audience
- AdultsMenWorking-age men, especially those unlikely to seek help.
Evidence
ExperimentalMixed
RCT of the Michigan adaptation (Frey et al., Suicide Life Threat Behav 2023; n=554 enrolled, 421 completed): suicidal ideation and depression fell over time in both arms, with no difference between Man Therapy plus a comparison site and the comparison site alone. Program reports ~300,000 men screened (press). Safe messaging: humour about masculinity rather than about suicide; avoids method content and links to crisis services; no harm signal in the RCT. A secondary analysis of the same trial found Man Therapy was associated with more professional help-seeking (OR 1.55, p=0.049), but not with help-seeking from friends or family (Gilgoff 2023).
Sponsor (who paid)
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Office of Suicide Prevention State local government, funder
- Carson J Spencer Foundation NGO, partner
Credits (who made it)
Related campaigns
- HeadsUpGuys 2015–now
- Man Up 2016
- Movember 2003–now
Sources
- Frey JJ et al. Effectiveness of man therapy to reduce suicidal ideation and depression among working-age men: a randomized controlled trial. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2023;53(1):137-153 evaluation · 2022 · DOI 10.1111/sltb.12932 · PMID 36373571
- Man Therapy, a humorous interactive suicide prevention site for men (Laughing Squid) news · 2012
- Health experts hope Dr. Rich Mahogany and Man Therapy can reduce suicide in men (KUNC) news · 2018
- Gilgoff JN et al. Help-seeking and Man Therapy: The impact of an online suicide intervention. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2023 evaluation · 2023 · DOI 10.1111/sltb.12929 · PMID 36412229
Research notes
Since licensed to other states and countries (e.g. Michigan, Australia). Credits checked 2026-10-22 against fetched pages: Cactus (Laughing Squid, 12 Jul 2012: the site is a collaboration between Denver-based creative agency Cactus, the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention and the Carson J Spencer Foundation). Evidence updated 2026-10-22: outcome null -> mixed. Primary outcomes (ideation, depression) were null, but the secondary analysis of the same RCT found more professional help-seeking, which is the campaign's stated aim; the effect is borderline (p=0.049). Reuse terms checked 2026-10-23 by an AI research pass for #47; not yet reviewed by a person.
Record cases/man-therapy.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign