A comparative study of outcome of teaching related to suicide risk assessment using mobile app versus conventional teaching for undergraduate medical students

Abstract

Background: In India, the leading cause of mortality for those aged 15–39 in 2016 was reported to be suicide. Despite these alarming statistics, efforts to prevent suicide are nevertheless thwarted by a number of obstacles to getting help. Timely identification is essential to ensuring that people at risk of suicide receive the right care and assistance. The World Health Organization’s mental health action plan advocates employing self-help treatments through electronic and mobile technologies in addition to other steps to promote accessibility to and availability of evidence-based mental health services with encouraging results. With encouraging results, technology has been utilized to give self-help and guided psychological therapies, and it may be employed as a low-intensity and low-cost tactic to reach a bigger population in need of care. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of this study were to study the comparison of mobile application versus conventional teaching techniques for implementation of suicide risk assessment among medical students. Materials and Methods: Study comprises MBBS students. Sample size was calculated to be 138, with 67 in Group A (conventional teaching) and 67 in Group B (mobile teaching). Week 1 and 2 – students were randomly allocated into Group A and B. Both the groups were taught about suicide risk assessment. Results: We found that 87.61% found the mobile application easier to comprehend than the conventional teaching methods. Conclusion: Mobile application learning for implementation of suicide risk assessment in MBBS students is non-inferior to conventional teaching methods.