| Popis: |
BACKGROUND Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among young people worldwide and suicide rates are increasing. Suicide prevention strategies can be effective but young people face barriers accessing them. Providing support digitally can facilitate access, but this can also pose risks if there is inappropriate or harmful content. Collaborative approaches are key for developing digital suicide prevention tools to ensure support is appropriate and helpful for young people. ‘Tellmi’ is a peer support app that aims to extend the support on offer to those at risk of suicide, but further research is needed to understand how best to do this. OBJECTIVE To explore key considerations for developing and delivering digital suicide prevention tools for young people. METHODS A full day, in-person workshop was conducted with mental health academics (n=3) and mental health practitioners (n=2) with expertise in suicide prevention, young people with lived experience of suicidal ideation (n=4), a computer scientist (n=1) and technical staff from the Tellmi app (n=6). Tellmi technical staff presented 14 possible evidence-based adaptations for the app as a basis for the discussions. A range of methods were used to evaluate them, including questionnaires to rate the ideas, annotating print outs of the ideas with post-it notes, and group discussions. A thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative data to explore key considerations for designing digital suicide prevention tools in the context of peer support. RESULTS Participants discussed the needs of both those receiving and providing support, and they noted several key considerations for how best to develop and deliver digital support for high-risk young people. Five themes were developed: 1) the aims of the app must be clear and consistent, 2) there are unique considerations for supporting high-risk users, 3) customization helps tailor support to high-risk users, 4) ‘progress’ is a broad and multifaceted concept, and 5) those who support must also be supported. CONCLUSIONS This study outlined several practical suggestions that may be beneficial for those developing digital suicide prevention tools for young people. Suggestions included apps being customizable, transparent, accessible, visually appealing, and working with users to develop content and language. |
