The effect of the Yara smartphone application on anxiety, sleep quality, and suicidal thoughts in patients with major depressive disorder in Iran: A randomized controlled trial

Background Depression is one of the most common mental disorders that leads to anxiety, sleep disturbances, and suicidal thoughts. Due to the high cost of treatment and the reluctance of many patients to seek medical help, major depressive disorder (MDD) is becoming more prevalent. Therefore, alternative methods like smartphone applications can help prevent and improve […]

Digital therapeutics in the hospital for suicide crisis: Content and design recommendations from young people and hospital staff

Objective Hospital emergency departments lack the resources to adequately support young people who present for suicidal crisis. Digital therapeutics could fill this service gap by providing psychological support without creating additional burden on hospital staff. However, existing research on what is needed for successful integration of digital therapeutics in hospital settings is scant. Thus, this […]

Assessing suicide prevention apps’ responsiveness to help-seeking needs of individuals connected with mental health services (IN: The role of digital health policy and leadership, edited by K. Keshavjee and A. Khatami)

This paper maps suicide help-seeking needs identified in the literature, on to the features and functionalities of suicide prevention mobile apps using the adapted ecological model, thereby revealing existing gaps between help-seeking needs and available apps. This paper builds upon previous work by our team, which includes 1) a rapid scoping review aimed at identifying […]

Frequency and predictors of virtual hope box use in individuals experiencing suicidal ideation: An ecological momentary assessment investigation

Introduction The Virtual Hope Box (VHB) is a smartphone application designed to support emotion regulation when one is distressed, in a crisis, or experiencing suicidal ideation (SI). Initial proof of concept studies indicate that individuals are more likely to use the VHB than traditional hope boxes, and find it both easy to setup and helpful. […]

Use of new technologies in suicide prevention in adolescents: Systematic literature review

Introduction: Suicide is one of the main causes of death in adolescents. In assessing suicide risk, technology is gaining ground. Adolescents have experienced users of technology, justifying interventions based on new technologies in suicide prevention. Objective: To identify the benefits of using new technologies to prevent suicide risk in adolescents. Methods: Systematic literature review. The […]

MYPLAN: A mobile phone application for supporting people at risk of suicide

Background: Safety plans have been suggested as an intervention for people at risk of suicide. Given the impulsive character of suicidal ideation, a safety plan in the format of a mobile phone application is likely to be more available and useful than traditional paper versions. Aims: The study describes MYPLAN, a mobile phone application designed to support […]

Protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of a CBT‑based smartphone application for improving mental health outcomes in adolescents: The MobiliseMe study

Background Depression is a leading cause of disability in adolescents, however few receive evidence-based treatment. Despite having the potential to overcome barriers to treatment uptake and adherence, there are very few CBT-based smartphone apps for adolescents. To address this gap, we developed ClearlyMe®, a self-guided CBT smartphone app for adolescent depression and anxiety. ClearlyMe® consists […]

The effect of a therapeutic smartphone application on suicidal ideation in young adults: Findings from a randomized controlled trial in Australia

Suicidal ideation is a major risk for a suicide attempt in younger people, such that reducing severity of ideation is an important target for suicide prevention. Smartphone applications present a new opportunity for managing ideation in young adults; however, confirmatory evidence for efficacy from randomized trials is lacking. The objective of this study was to […]

Feasibility and acceptability of the mobile application for the prevention of suicide (MAPS)

Rates of Veteran suicide continue to be unacceptably high. Suicidal ideation and behavior are contextually and situationally based, limiting the ability of traditional prevention and assessment strategies to prevent acute crises. The Mobile Application for the Prevention of Suicide (MAPS) is a novel, smartphone-based intervention strategy that utilizes ecological momentary assessment to identify suicide risk […]

How can mobile applications support suicide prevention gatekeepers in Australian Indigenous communities?

Objectives Patients who survive a suicide attempt present an increased risk of relapse during the three months after discharge from a hospital, referred to herein as the post-discharge period. Developing and assessing the efficacy and safety of methods that reduce the risk of relapse in the post-discharge period is critical for professionals in the field […]

A digital companion, the Emma app, for ecological momentary assessment and prevention of suicide: Quantitative case series

Background: Many suicide risk factors have been identified, but traditional clinical methods do not allow for the accurate prediction of suicide behaviors. To face this challenge, emma, an app for ecological momentary assessment (EMA), ecological momentary intervention (EMI), and prediction of suicide risk in high-risk patients, was developed. Objective: The aim of this case report study was […]

A mobile health approach for improving outcomes in suicide prevention (SafePlan)

was the second leading cause of death among those aged 15-29 years globally in 2016. Treatment for patients with suicidal thoughts or behaviors often includes face-to-face psychological therapy with a mental health professional. These forms of interventions may involve maintaining and updating paper-based reports or worksheets in between sessions. Mobile technology can offer a way […]

Suicide prevention and depression apps’ suicide risk assessment and management: A systematic assessment of adherence to clinical guidelines

Background There are an estimated 800,000 suicides per year globally, and approximately 16,000,000 suicide attempts. Mobile apps may help address the unmet needs of people at risk. We assessed adherence of suicide prevention advice in depression management and suicide prevention apps to six evidence-based clinical guideline recommendations: mood and suicidal thought tracking, safety plan development, recommendation […]

Evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of an Australian safety planning smartphone application: A pilot study within a tertiary mental health service

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a suicide prevention smartphone application. Method Thirty‐six non‐Aboriginal Australians aged between 16 and 42 years (67% female) were recruited from a tertiary mental health service where they were receiving treatment for suicide risk. Participants were asked to use the BeyondNow safety planning […]

As safe as Possible (ASAP): A brief app-supported inpatient intervention to prevent postdischarge suicidal behavior in hospitalized, suicidal adolescents.

Objective: The authors report on a pilot study of an inpatient intervention for suicidal adolescents, As Safe as Possible (ASAP), supported by a smartphone app (BRITE) to reduce suicide attempts following hospital discharge. Method: Across two sites, 66 adolescents hospitalized for suicidal ideation (N=26) or a recent suicide attempt (N=40) were randomly assigned to the […]

MYPLAN – mobile phone application to manage crisis of persons at risk of suicide: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

ackground Persons with a past episode of self-harm or severe suicidal ideation are at elevated risk of self-harm as well as dying by suicide. It is well established that suicidal ideation fluctuates over time. Previous studies have shown that a personal safety plan can assist in providing support, when a person experiences suicide ideation, and […]

Technology-enhanced suicide prevention interventions: A systematic review.

Objective Suicide prevention is a high priority. Scalable and sustainable interventions for suicide prevention are needed to set the stage for population-level impact. This systematic review explores how technology-enhanced interventions target suicide risk and protective factors, using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2015) Risk and Protective Factors Ecological Model. Methods Information databases […]

A virtual hope box: Randomized controlled trial of a smartphone app for emotional regulation and coping with distress.

Objective:  The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the Virtual Hope Box (VHB), a smartphone app to improve stress coping skills, suicidal ideation, and perceived reasons for living among patients at elevated risk of suicide and self-harm. Methods:  The authors conducted a parallel-group randomized controlled trial with two groups of U.S. […]

A pilot study of the acceptability and usability of a smartphone application intervention for suicidal adolescents and their parents.

Interconnectedness through technology presents both challenges and opportunities for suicide prevention and intervention with adolescents and families. The time following discharge from acute care facilities represents a critical period of suicide risk for adolescents, which could be buffered by a technological intervention they could use post-discharge. Crisis Care is a smartphone application intervention developed specifically […]

The DBT Coach Mobile Application as an adjunct to treatment for for suicidal and self-injuring individuals with borderline personality disorder: A preliminary evaluation and challenges to client utilization.

Acquisition and generalization of specific behavioral skills is a key component of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). We examined the feasibility, acceptability, usability, and immediate effects of the DBT Coach, a mobile phone application (app) designed specifically to augment skills generalization through interactive coaching in DBT skills. In this […]

Digital suicide prevention: Can technology become a game-changer?

Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death and has been recognized as a significant public health issue. Rapid advances in data science can provide us with useful tools for suicide prevention, and help to dynamically assess suicide risk in quantitative data-driven ways. In this article, the authors highlight the most current international research […]

A brief mobile app reduces nonsuicidal and suicidal self-injury: Evidence from three randomized controlled trials.

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A virtual hope box smartphone app as an accessory to therapy: Proof-of-concept in a clinical sample of veterans.

A ÒHope BoxÓ is a therapeutic tool employed by clinicians with patients who are having difficulty coping with negative thoughts and stress, including patients who may be at risk of suicide or nonsuicidal self-harm. We conducted a proof-of-concept test of a ÒVirtualÓ Hope Box (VHB), a smartphone app that delivers patient-tailored coping tools. Compared with […]