Reference: 2013-006 - An app to support suicide prevention amongst Indigenous youth: Pilot

Researchers: Professor Helen Christensen, Dr Fiona Shand, Rebecca Ridani (Black Dog Institute); Dr Kathryn McKay (University of New England); Joe Tighe, Joshua Sibosado, Craig Sampi (Alive and Kicking Goals)

Funding: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

Project summary: The Black Dog Institute is partnering with Alive & Kicking Goals! (AKG), a suicide prevention initiative currently in place in the Kimberley, to develop a suicide prevention app for mobile tablets. Phase one of the project involved running focus groups in the Kimberley region to find out how an app might benefit Indigenous youths. The information from focus groups was collated, and an app was designed to meet the needs of Indigenous youth. This phase of the project involves running a pilot of the app to determine whether the self-help interactive program delivered via tablet devices can help Indigenous youth to reduce their suicidal ideation. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which includes therapeutic activities grounded in acceptance and commitment therapy, or a wait list control group who will receive the intervention after the first group finishes. We predict those using the intervention program will report reduced suicidal ideation and mental distress after using the program for 6 weeks.

Progress: Ongoing