Abstract
Suicide is a complex phenomenon because in addition to the individual who is impacted, its effects seep into many lives including caregivers of the individual experiencing suicidal thoughts and those who die by suicide. Often, caregivers seek help everywhere, but face various challenges including long wait times, difficulty accessing resources quickly, personal struggles with mental health, and time sensitivity. Mobile-health interventions are a promising solution for this, as they are easily accessible, available, geographic location independent and affordable. Many mobile apps for suicide prevention exist. However, not much is known about their design and efficacy, and if these apps address the unique mental health needs of caregivers dealing with suicidal individuals. To address these gaps, we designed LifeLink, a persuasive mobile application (app) specifically for supporting caregivers of individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts. Firstly, we reviewed 25 studies to determine risk factors that are most strongly associated with suicide and considerations for developing technological interventions for suicide prevention. Secondly, we reviewed 80 suicide prevention apps from app stores and academic literature to identify gaps and different persuasive strategies’ implementations using the Persuasive System Design (PSD) model. Thirdly, using the findings from the two systematic reviews, we designed a low-fidelity prototype of LifeLink app, implementing various evidence-based persuasive strategies. Next, using a user-centered design approach, 45 caregivers evaluated the user experience of LifeLink. Finally, we conducted a survey and semi-structured interviews to understand caregivers’ needs when supporting an individual, their assessment of perceived persuasiveness of the app and implemented strategies. Our results reveal that all the persuasive strategies were effective and significantly persuasive. LifeLink was found to be easy to use, engaging, useful, easy to navigate, elicited positive user experience, was helpful and impactful for caregivers. We also conducted a thematic analysis of participants’ qualitative feedback to uncover more insights. Findings from our evaluation demonstrate the potential of LifeLink as a valuable tool for caregivers that can increase mental health literacy and foster a supportive environment.
Published Version
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