Exploring the safety of a general digital mental health intervention to effect symptom reduction among individuals with and without suicidal ideation: A secondary analysis

Trials of digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) often exclude individuals with suicide-related thoughts and behaviors precluding an understanding of whether DMHIs for affective disorders are safe for, and perform similarly within, this high-risk group. We explore the safety and performance of a DMHI for depression in participants with and without suicidal ideation (SI) at baseline. Three hundred and one participants were included in this secondary data analysis from a trial of an 8-week DMHI comprising 14 smartphone apps. We found that SI decreased across the study among participants with baseline SI and that baseline SI status did not attenuate depression treatment depression effects. Through a case study of the IntelliCare platform, we find that DMHIs for general affective disorders can be safe.