Innovating to Treat Depression and Prevent Suicide: The IPhone @PSY ASSISTANCE Application

Abstract

Smartphones may be on the verge of becoming a therapeutic adjunct and a useful adjunct to the treatment of depressed and suicidal persons. A Canadian research team has developed a mobile application for this client group. @Psy ASSISTANCE performs a variety of functions: it is a source of information, provides therapeutic support, collects data and serves as an emergency tool in the event of a crisis. The application’s key function is its suicidal crisis safety plan. This six-part plan evalu- ates both the safety of the person’s environment and warning signs of suicidal behaviour, and then suggests appropriate coping strategies. If distress levels demand rapid assistance, the instrument is programmed to make a call blast to five pre-determined individuals. In addition, the application geolocates the caller and nearby emergency care facilities. In the following sections, we present the background leading up to the development of the iPhone @Psy ASSISTANCE project and then describe the application and its utility.