mHealth Interventions for Attempted Suicide: A Qualitative Exploration of User Attitudes, Barriers, Facilitators, and...

Suicide and suicidal behaviors are a major public health concern in India. Understanding user perspectives is essential to implement mHealth interventions effectively in this population. Our objectives were to qualitatively examine perceived barriers, facilitators, preferences, and attitudes toward mHealth interventions among individuals with a history of suicide attempts.

In-depth interviews were conducted with participants who had attempted suicide and sought support in a tertiary care hospital in South India. Freelisting exercises were undertaken to identify perceived barriers and facilitators for mHealth interventions. Participants' preferences for utilizing messaging interventions were also explored. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and evaluated using thematic analysis.

A total of 15 participants (53.3% female) aged between 20 and 36 years were interviewed. Key barriers toward mHealth interventions included lack of digital literacy, lack of privacy, network problems and perceived intrusiveness. The major facilitators were user-friendliness and lower costs. Attitudes were largely negative: participants felt that mHealth consults were ineffective and were unwilling to use them. Participants expressed concerns about diminished professionalism, response delays and the digital divide. Most participants preferred twice-weekly morning messages in their local language and favored personalized messages with an option to provide feedback.

Our findings highlight significant barriers toward mHealth interventions among individuals with suicide attempts, including digital literacy gaps, privacy concerns, and perceived ineffectiveness. Enhancing digital literacy, safeguarding privacy, and aligning interventions with user preferences might improve the acceptability of mHealth interventions in this group.