Post-acute crisis text messaging outreach for suicide prevention: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Digital Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Continuity of care is crucial for preventing post-acute suicidal behaviors.
• Traditional post-suicide attempt outreach includes postcards and phone calls.
• Novel, accessible interventions are needed for suicide prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the technical feasibility of text messaging outreach for post-acute suicide attempters.
• To assess the acceptability of text message interventions among patients.
• To explore text messaging as a cost-effective suicide prevention strategy.

Main Methods:

• A 2-month pilot study involving 18 post-suicidal patients.
• Development of a custom intranet program for sending text messages.
• Evaluation of technical feasibility via text message reports and acceptability via phone interviews.

Main Results:

• Text message outreach via an intranet program is technically possible post-suicide attempt.
• Patients accepted the text messaging intervention and perceived a positive preventive impact.
• Text messaging offers advantages in cost and ease of use compared to current methods.

Conclusions:

• Text messaging is a viable tool for post-acute suicide outreach.
• This intervention may positively impact suicide prevention efforts.
• Further randomized controlled trials are recommended to confirm efficacy in larger populations.