Skip to main content
ABCT 2023 Annual Convention Main banner
Final Program


Program Flipbook
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
Ticketed Session
Ticketed Session
Recorded Session
Recorded Session
Back
ViewAttendees 7

Symposia

Research Methods and Statistics

Session: Using Data-driven Methods to Inform "Precision Care"

4 - (SYM 24) Development and Open Trial of a Personalized Smartphone Application for Suicide Prevention

Friday, November 17, 2023
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM PST
Location: Washougal (408), Level 4

Despite an increase in theoretical models of and treatments for suicide, the suicide rate continues to rise. Given the widespread availability of smartphone technology, there is great potential to deliver interventions via mobile platforms. However, despite the proliferation of smartphone tools for suicide, few offer evidence-based support and some include potentially harmful content (Larsen, Nicholas, & Christensen, 2016). Further, clinical trials of smartphone interventions frequently encounter high attrition and low adherence (Linardon & Fuller-Tyszkewicz, 2020), perhaps due in part to the lack of personalization of the timing and support provided. In response, we have conducted initial development of a mobile suicide prevention system: Mobile Application to Prevent Suicide (MAPS). 


MAPS is an adjunctive intervention specifically designed to identify warning signs of increased suicide risk and deliver personalized intervention for patients transitioning out of a psychiatric hospital, a time of significantly elevated suicide risk. MAPS provides both a mobile app and a clinician dashboard allowing them to monitor risk. MAPS is comprised of multiple evidence-based components: (1) monitoring of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors via ecological momentary assessment (EMA), (2) personalized, interactive coping strategy administration based on participants’ responses to momentary surveys, (3) direct access to clinicians, support persons, and crisis resources, and (4) psychoeducation about suicide and related mental health constructs. 


We will describe aspects of the MAPS design process related to tailoring the content and timing of support provided by MAPS. We will also report data from an open trial of 10 adults admitted to a psychiatric hospital for suicidal ideation or behavior who receive the Safety Planning Intervention and are trained to use MAPS during hospitalization. Following hospitalization, patients use MAPS for 28 days, after which they complete a follow-up assessment of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, and treatment adherence. We will report data from the open trial on the feasibility and acceptability of MAPS by examining study recruitment and refusal rates, rates of protocol completion and drop-out, reports on a patient satisfaction measure, and detailed qualitative exit interviews. We will examine and report reasons for termination for consistent patterns. Finally, we will report data on safety, assessed using suicide outcome variables of suicidal ideation and behavior.