A systematic assessment of smartphone tools for suicide prevention

ME Larsen; J Nicholas; H Christensen

Journal article

A systematic assessment of smartphone tools for suicide prevention

ME Larsen, J Nicholas, H Christensen

Plos One | PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE | Published : 2016

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152285

Open access

Download PDF

Abstract

Background Suicide is a leading cause of death globally, and there has been a rapid growth in the use of new technologies such asmobile health applications (apps) to help identify and support those at risk. However, it is not known whether these apps are evidence-based, or indeed contain potentially harmful content. This review examines the concordance of features in publicly available apps with current scientific evidence of effective suicide prevention strategies. Methods Apps referring to suicide or deliberate self-harm (DSH) were identified on the Android and iOS app stores. Systematic review methodology was employed to screen and review app content. App features were labelled using a co..

View full abstract

University of Melbourne Researchers

Jen Nicholas Author

Related Projects (1)

CENTRE OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE FOR IMPROVING SUICIDE PREVENTION IN AUSTRALIA THROUGH BETTER IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS, IMPROVED RISK IDENTIFICATION AND EVIDENCE INFORMED POLICY.

Suicide is the most common cause of death in Australians aged 15-44. This ‘Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention’ aims to bri..

Grants

Awarded by National Science Foundation

Funding Acknowledgements

This review was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention 1042580, and National Health and Medical Research Council John Cade Fellowship 1056964. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.