CAATCH: the development and evaluation of a suicide-prevention mobile app

Abstract

Background: Many people at risk of suicide do not seek help before an attempt. mHealth interventions are proposed as an effective means of addressing the two main obstacles to help seeking in suicidal individuals: stigma and geographical isolation. This study describes a collaborative project between CAATCH, a community-based suicide prevention initiative and the National University of Ireland, Galway, in the design, development and evaluation of a suicide-prevention app. The CAATCH app is freely available to download on both the Android and iOS platforms. Methods: The process of app development was informed by key standards in content development and software design. Steps involved included: a review of research and theory relevant to the area; involvement from community services and subject matter experts, user engagement in designing and developing the app followed by extensive ongoing evaluation to inform further development. A cross-sectional design was used with over 200 university students recruited to evaluate features of the CAATCH mobile app and provide feedback to inform development of the next version of the app. Results: Over two thirds of participants would recommend the app and over three quarters rated the app as being easy to use. Further information is presented relating to specific features of the app and suggestions for future development. Conclusions: A comprehensive evaluation of the CAATCH app has so far yielded valuable information about the app including ease of use and relevance of content provided. Detailed feedback was collected which will be used to inform the development of CAATCH v.2.