Background: Suicide ranked 12th as a cause of death in Taiwan. Self-harm, identified as a key risk factor for suicide, is associated with increased suicide rates. Brief contact interventions, such as safety planning and crisis cards, have shown positive results in reduced suicidal ideation and behaviors. Developing digital intervention is vital due to smartphone prevalence, enabling broader reach to those in need. While developing such interventions, it is crucial to involve individuals with lived experiences in the research process.
Aim: To develop a new digital brief contact intervention using a co-design approach.
Methods: Three individuals with lived experiences (aged 23-28) and two service providers with psychology backgrounds (aged 32-45) were recruited to participate in the co-design team. The university researchers and co-design team members met as a group for two hours each time, once a month, over 7 months (from October 2022 to April 2023), to discuss topics related to the new intervention.
Result: The new intervention developed through the co-design approach includes six key components. 1) Safety planning: providing step-by-step guidance to help users identify warning signs, coping strategies, and social supports that may distract them from a mental crisis. 2) Volitional help sheet: applying a self-regulatory strategy known as implementation intention to help users link a critical situation with an appropriate response. 3) Mood monitor: Listing six questions related to mood and suicidal thoughts to help users assess their emotional state. 4) Self-harm information: offering knowledge on understanding self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and self-care strategies if having self-harm behaviors. 5) Available services: providing users information about resources, such as helplines and mental health services in their area. 6) Taiwan’s national suicide prevention hotline (1925): providing users with the 24-hour, toll-free number to call when needed. The co-design team opted for LINE as the delivery platform, given its widespread usage among 90% of Taiwanese people.
Conclusion: This is the first digital brief intervention developed in Taiwan using a co-design approach. By incorporating the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences, the new intervention may be more acceptable for potential users. A pilot study to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this new intervention is ongoing.