QPR - using smart devices on suicide prevention
Why
After I lost my son to suicide I saw how much damage suicide causes to our society and how unprepared we are about preventing it. I'm in contact with several researchers in the area of suicide prevention and there is a great number of suicides that can be prevented if the individual at risk and his/her support network is prepared to deal with this risk. I was also impressed by the numbers of suicides that were using their smart phones up to their last minute and how preventable a suicide is. Working in suicide prevention creates awareness on the subject in society, makes it easier for people at risk to seek help, makes it easier for people to think about the possibility of death before they make a decision. If we avoid the subject of death by suicide, we won't be prepared to identify when we are at risk, we won't know what to do when suicide touches us one way or another. Having this resource of suicide prevention on the so prevalent smart devices will give more reach to the support network to meet the needs of the persons at risk. |
How
Mobile devices app for suicide prevention. App will interact with other apps installed on the device, instruct the user about suicide prevention and assess the user's risk of suicide. The app will build the user's support network based on user provided information and pattern of device usage (social network connections, geolocation, phone calls, text messages, etc.) The App will observe the user behavior to identify possible triggers that can increase suicide risk (for example certain phrases used on social networks or messages, sudden change on social network usage) and also will periodically reassess user's risk based on Implicit Association tests. Depending on the risk level, the app may prompt the user to take action, or the app may contact the user's support network, including calling emergency if necessary. The app can also listen to notifications that can be triggered by the support network in case the user is not responsive or indicating that he is taking the necessary actions. On the initial assessment, when the app is installed, if the user is not at risk of suicide but is willing to become a "gatekeeper" trained in suicide prevention, the app provides information and connections with training providers |
The main idea for this app comes from Dr. Quinnett's method for suicide prevention called QPR. You can visit QPR Institute web site for information on his work