Evaluation of the effectiveness of Suicide.ca, Quebec’s digital suicide prevention strategy platform: Cross-sectional descriptive study

Background: In 2017, the Quebec government assigned the Association québécoise de prévention du suicide (AQPS) to develop a digital suicide prevention strategy (DSPS). The AQPS responded by creating a centralized website that provides information on suicide and mental  health, identifies at-risk individuals on the internet, and offers direct crisis intervention support via chat and text. […]

Developing suicide prevention tools in the context of digital peer support: Qualitative analysis of a workshop with multidisciplinary stakeholders

Background: Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 years worldwide and suicide rates are increasing. Suicide prevention strategies can be effective but young people face barriers to accessing them. Providing support digitally can facilitate access, but this can also pose risks if there is inappropriate or harmful content. Collaborative […]

Effects of community-based caring contact in reducing thwarted belongingness among postdischarge young adults with self-harm: Randomized controlled trial

Background: For patients with self-harm behaviors, the urge to hurt themselves persists after hospital discharge, leading to costly readmissions and even death. Hence, postdischarge intervention programs that reduce self-harm behavior among patients should be part of a cogent community mental health care policy. Objective: We aimed to determine whether a combination of a self-help mobile […]

The acceptability of a smartphone app (BlueIce) for university students who self-harm

University students are twice as likely to self-harm than community controls but, unfortunately, help-seeking among this population is particularly low. Given the stigma around self-harm, the face-to-face nature of traditional support for self-harm can be a barrier to help-seeking. Smartphone applications (apps) are a possible alternative source of support, and research has shown that students […]

A systematic review of the evidence supporting mobile- and internet-based psychological interventions for self-harm

Objectives Internet- and mobile phone-based psychological interventions have the potential to overcome many of the barriers associated with accessing traditional face-to-face therapy. Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (STB) are prevalent global health problems that may benefit from Internet- and mobile-based interventions. We provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating mobile- and Internet-based interventions for […]

Enhancing suicide prevention outreach via mobile-enabled website design

Online outreach campaigns are a potential public health method for reaching service members at risk for suicide. The Real Warriors Campaign website underwent a full redesign in 2019 to enhance its ability to provide crisis resources and increase engagement by adopting a mobile-first strategy and implementing a responsive framework, meaning the site renders properly on […]

CALMA, a mobile health application, as an accessory to therapy for reduction of suicidal and non-suicidal self-injured behaviors: A pilot cluster randomized controlled trial

The present study was aim to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of a mobile-health application, CALMA, based on dialectical behavioral therapy skills. CALMA was proposed as an adjunct to therapy for the reduction of non-suicidal and suicidal self-injury behaviors. A parallel design was used to compare the intervention group (DBT + CALMA) and the comparison group […]

Are mental health apps adequately equipped to handle users in crisis?

Background: Mental health (MH) apps are growing in popularity. While MH apps may be helpful, less is known about how crises such as suicidal ideation are addressed in apps. Aims: We examined the proportion of MH apps that contained language mentioning suicide or suicidal ideation and how apps communicated these policies and directed users to MH resources through […]

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 […]

Usage and acceptability of the iBobbly app: Pilot trial for suicide prevention in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth

Background: The proliferation of mental health apps purporting to target and improve psychological wellbeing is ever-growing and also concerning: Few apps have been rigorously evaluated, and, indeed, the safety of the vast majority of them has not been determined. Over 10,000 self-help apps exist but most are not used much after being downloaded. Gathering and analyzing […]

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 […]

Stakeholder perspectives on using and developing the MYPLAN suicide prevention mobile phone application: A focus group study

The objective of this study was to explore different stakeholder perspectives on the MYPLAN app for suicide prevention safety planning. The study was a comparative analysis of 4 focus groups with Danish MYPLAN stakeholders, young users, adult users, relatives, and clinicians. The focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and subjected to a thematic analysis. The […]

Can digital games serve as potential intervention or suicide risk?

With the rapid growth of advanced digital technology, the use of mobile apps is of increasing interest as a means for providing continuous access to evidence-based digital interventions. Suicide is a socially taboo topic with approximately 800,000 people dying due to suicide every year. As suicidal ideation and suicide risk increase rapidly, gamified intervention is […]