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Digital Safety Plan Activation Reduces Subsequent Emergency Departments Visits Following an Initial Suicide Attempt
María Luisa Barrigón;
Carlos Schmidt;
Matilde Elices;
Alejandro Porras-Segovia;
Ana María de Granda-Beltrán;
Antonio Artés-Rodríguez;
Philippe Coarte;
Víctor Pérez-Sola;
Enrique Baca-García
ABSTRACT
Background:
Suicide is a significant global public health concern. Individuals with suicidal behaviors often seek help in emergency departments (ED), making mental health providers critical in suicide prevention. Brief interventions, such as safety planning, are essential in these settings. However, there is a limited understanding of how mobile digital applications of safety planning could enhance the effectiveness of in-person care provided by mental health professionals while simultaneously reducing their workload.
Objective:
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a digital safety plan, delivered through the MEmind app, in reducing ED visits for suicide-related concerns.
Methods:
A one-year follow-up was conducted on individuals who presented to the ED after a suicidal crisis (n = 78). Participants were provided with a digital safety plan on their mobile devices and instructed to activate it during future suicidal crises.
Results:
Participants who activated the digital safety plan showed a 50% lower likelihood of returning to ED.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that digital safety planning may be a scalable and accessible intervention with the potential to significantly contribute to suicide prevention efforts.
Citation
Please cite as:
Barrigón ML, Schmidt C, Elices M, Porras-Segovia A, de Granda-Beltrán AM, Artés-Rodríguez A, Coarte P, Pérez-Sola V, Baca-García E
Impact of Digital Safety Plan Activation on Subsequent Emergency Departments Visits Following an Initial Suicide Attempt: Quasi-Experimental Study