A Mobile Health Approach for Improving Outcomes in Suicide Prevention (SafePlan)

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Mobile Health (mHealth)
• Suicide Prevention

Background:

• Suicide is a leading cause of death globally, especially among young adults.
• Traditional therapy for suicidal behaviors often relies on paper-based materials.
• Mobile technology offers potential for delivering evidence-based psychological interventions and coping skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a mobile application for enhanced mental health support and safety planning.
• To improve service user access to mental health resources through technology.
• To incorporate expert clinical input into the app's design and functionality.

Main Methods:

• Clinician surveys identified key features for a suicide prevention app.
• A design group with expertise in mHealth, psychology, and suicide prevention was formed.
• Iterative feedback from clinicians and focus groups refined the app's design and features.

Main Results:

• The SafePlan mobile app was developed through an iterative, clinician-informed process.
• The app provides an interactive safety plan and a diary for skill generalization (e.g., dialectical behavior therapy).
• Usability testing with target users yielded a mean System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 71.85.

Conclusions:

• A participatory design approach involving stakeholders created a promising mHealth intervention.
• The SafePlan app has the potential to increase access to mental health services for at-risk populations.
• Following initial testing and refinement, the app is ready for clinical trials with patients and providers.