An Emory team has created a new mobile application to aid people who are showing signs of suicidal behavior by making resources in care and support available to them.
The app, ReliefLink, offers easy access to helpful resources such as live chats, lifeline phone calls, treatment facility map locators and reminders for medication and appointments for users at risk of suicidal behavior, said Nadine Kaslow, Emory University School of Medicine psychologist and leader of the team that designed the application.
ReliefLink, according to Kaslow, also includes built-in psychological intervention techniques, such as exercises for relaxation and mindfulness, as well as the opportunity to create a safety plan in case of a crisis.
According to a Sept. 17 University press release, Kaslow and her team recently received a first prize award of $50,000 in a national competition sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Kaslow and her team presented their mobile app on Sept. 16 at the White House as part of the Behavioral Health Technologies Innovations Conference, and the app was officially launched for iPhones on Oct. 15.
The app can be used for adolescents and adults in all settings – high schools, college campuses and mental health and hospital settings, Kaslow said.
It can be used under the guidance of mental health professionals or alone by anyone who has suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Kaslow said she believes intervention on a mobile app will have a great public health impact due to the application's easy accessibility.
A representative from the government agency Challenge.gov personally called Emory's team to create a suicide prevention app, according to Kaslow.
Kaslow and her team had expertise in suicide prevention on college campuses through organizations that aid individuals seeking services after a suicide attempt.
Kaslow said partnering with a user consultant and an app developer allowed the team to bring their knowledge to a broader audience using the latest mobile technology.
Through focus groups with individuals who had previously attempted suicide, Kaslow and her team received ideas about what would be helpful for the app.
After the app was developed, other individuals with expertise in suicide prevention tried out the app and gave feedback, as did people who had themselves attempted suicide.
Their input was used to revise the app and ultimately resulted in the final application called ReliefLink, Kaslow said.
"The [SAMHSA] award to us signifies that the field of mental health intervention is moving towards adopting more cutting-edge technology, such as mobile devices with applications, to enhance the quality of mental health care," Kaslow said.
– By Mallika Manyapu
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