Stakeholder Perspectives on Using and Developing the MYPLAN Suicide Prevention Mobile Phone Application: A Focus Group Study

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore different stakeholder perspectives on the MYPLAN app for suicide prevention safety planning. The study was a comparative analysis of 4 focus groups with Danish MYPLAN stakeholders, young users, adult users, relatives, and clinicians. The focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and subjected to a thematic analysis. The analysis contextualized the participants’ experiences of the benefits and limitations of MYPLAN. While participants believed that MYPLAN could potentially interrupt early stages of a suicidal process, clinicians’ involvement in safety planning was considered important. MYPLAN could potentially give users a sense of increased personal control but learning how to effectively safety plan was not perceived to be simple and additional support should be considered for MYPLAN users.

Keywords:

• crisis intervention [MeSH]
• mobile applications [MeSH]
• primary prevention [MeSH]
• self-injurious behavior [MeSH]
• suicide
• attempted [MeSH]

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by TrygFonden under Grant 133722.

Notes on contributors

Niels Buus

Niels Buus, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney, Australia, St. Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, Australia, St. Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney, Australia, and Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

Annette Erlangsen

Annette Erlangsen, Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland, USA; Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Jo River

Jo River, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney, Australia.

Kate Andreasson

Kate Andreasson, Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Centre North Zealand, Hillerød, Denmark.

Hanne Frandsen

Hanne Frandsen, Department of Affective Disorders, Psychiatric Centre Ballerup, Denmark.

Jette Louise Skovgaard Larsen

Jette Louise Skovgaard Larsen, Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention. Copenhagen, Denmark.

Merete Nordentoft

Merete Nordentoft, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark.

Anette Juel

Anette Juel, Department of Affective Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Aarhus, Denmark.