1. The Use of Mobile Health Technology in Suicide Prevention
Dr Ruth Melia 12/07/2017

2. History of the Project
Clinical experience of working with families and communities
Development of CAATCH suicide prevention initiative
Awareness Raising
Community Participation
Public Information Event
NOSP Training: Safe Talk, Assist
Mobile App Development

3. Background
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among year olds globally (WHO, 2012)
Accounted for 507 deaths in Ireland alone in 2012 (NSRF, 2012)
Suicidal behaviour is the result of a complex interaction of psychiatric, psychological, social, and cultural factors (Hawton & van Heeringen, 2009; O’Connor & Nock, 2014; O’Connor, Platt, & Gordon, 2011b).
Prospective studies have attempted to predict which individuals will attempt or die by suicide (O’Connor, Smyth, Ferguson, Ryan, & Williams, 2013).
A range of risk factors that correlate with suicidal behaviour have been identified (e.g. Bernert, Kim, Iwata et al., 2015).

4. Risk Factors Protective Factors Societal Community Relationships
Individual
Risk Factors
Protective Factors

5. Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory (2005)

6. mHealth and Suicide Prevention
Mobile technology offers an opportunity to address two of the major barriers to help-seeking in those at risk: geographical isolation and stigma (Christensen, Batterham & O’Dea, 2014)
5,626,484 mobile phone subscriptions in Ireland June 2014 (Walsh & Corbett, 2015)
90% of users have their mobile devices near them 24 hours a day (European Commission, 2014)
mHealth technology research has illustrated the use of smartphone apps in increasing physical activity, and decrease weight and blood pressure (Glynn, Hayes, Casey et al., 2014)

7. Barriers to Help-Seeking
Perceived Stigma
Geographical Isolation
Undetected
Attrition
Anonymous
Accessible
Monitor

8. CAATCH App

9. Research Outputs
Bogue, J., Melia, R., Duggan, J., Walton, J. (2017). The Development of a Suicide Prevention Mobile App: a Case Study. European Health Psychology Conference, Padua, Italy.
Melia, R., Duggan, J. Bogue, J., Walton, J. (2017). The Development of a Suicide Prevention Mobile App: a Case Study. International Congress on Female Mental Health, Dublin Ireland
Duggan, J., Bogue, J., Melia, R., Walton, J. (2016) The Development of a Suicide Prevention Mobile App: a Case Study. mHealth Research Conference, National University of Ireland Galway
Walton, J., Bogue, J., Duggan, J., Melia, R. (2016). The Development of a Suicide Prevention Mobile App: a Case Study. Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference, Galway, Ireland

10. Fulbright Scholarship
Examine the use of mobile health technology in suicide prevention: Delphi Study
Contribute to ongoing suicide prevention clinical trials as a study clinician
Fulbright Cultural Enrichment Programme

12. Current Research Challenges
Risk Factors
Statistical
Transient
Recording
Risk Algorithms
Individual Data
EMA

13. Professional learning
Appointed to Stanford School of Medicine faculty based at the Suicide Prevention Research Laboratory and gained Institutional Research Board Approval
Received training and accreditation in the use of suicide-specific tools: CSSRS, Beck SIS, HIPPA training, VA Safety Planning
Integrated in the process and planning of clinical trial research
Preparing grant proposal applications
Preparing research papers for publication / review

14. Reflections Clinical research – practise linking
Standardised use of risk assessment tools such as the CSSR-S and established prevention protocols
Focus of research and intervention on the individual v social
Importance of mHealth technology within suicide prevention research and intervention

15. Current Project
NOSP funding to develop a nationally- transferable tool.
Team expertise: ReachOut, HSE Your Mental Health, NOSP, NUIG Psychology & Engineering Departments
Integrate newer platform technology to develop a more interactive / individually-specific tool
Trial and evaluate new technology within a specific area to inform roll-out nationally
Prepare research for publication and to support applications for further development of project

16. Clinician Stakeholders to support further advancement of the project: design, development, user testing and evaluation