Feasibility of a Supportive Text Messaging Intervention in Northwest Alaska

Suicide disproportionately impacts young Alaska Native people in the northwestern region of Alaska. As part of its efforts to address this challenge, Maniilaq Association developed a program to determine the feasibility of sending short text messages of caring and support. Process evaluation measures included the number of enrollees and the number of text messages sent each month. To determine participant satisfaction and seek recommendations for improvements, a short, online survey was disseminated to enrollees via text message in 2021 and 2022. Between January 2020 and September 2021, text messages were sent each month to about 100 participants, each with an accompanying image. Messages included "You are capable of amazing things" and "You are enough". Twenty-five individuals completed the 2021 survey and 11 the 2022 survey; three quarters lived in Northwest Arctic. Respondents said the messages improved their mood and made them feel like they mattered a lot or a great deal. The intervention was well-received by participants, inspiring individuals to reach out to others and reach out for help for themselves. Recommendations for improvements included increasing culturally relevant and meaningful quotes and the frequency and consistency of messages. Due to concerns around confidentiality, it is unclear if the initiative reached those most at-risk for suicide. However, participants sharing the messages among the small population of the region may have facilitated a broader reach than would otherwise be expected.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41347-022-00293-z.