Can Tech Help Prevent Teen Suicide?

Last year, one-fifth of all high school students seriously considered suicide and 1 in 11 teens attempted suicide. These numbers are staggering and unacceptable. To truly make a dent in the teen mental health crisis, there needs to be an acknowledgement that technology should be an important part of the solution.

Teens have come to expect the immediacy and convenience that they get from searching for something on their phones and getting many quick, snappy responses within seconds. Not surprisingly, then, teens often seek mental health information on the internet and through social media. Unlike older generations, they are far less likely to gravitate toward traditional in-person services like therapy, especially if digital mental health resources are available.

Apps can help teens with their mental health

A 2021 randomized clinical trial showed how short skills-based videos delivered digitally helped avoid worsening mental health in students. Behavioral therapy that uses mindfulness, acceptance, and regulating emotions was delivered to students by video, and researchers concluded this brief, highly scalable intervention could extend the reach of mental health treatment. Another 2021 clinical trial that I worked on with colleagues at the University of Washington and Hopelab showed that an app designed to help teens transitioning to college feel less lonely was able to buffer against loneliness and depression in the first semester.

The research in this area is growing quickly. A 2017 review of 15 different mental health mobile apps for teens found only two small clinical trials and neither showed an effect on an intended outcome. Just a few years later, a 2021 review found 11 clinical trials showing improvement on a number of outcomes, most commonly depression and stress; and a 2022 review and meta-analysis found 80 studies describing 83 mobile interventions and showed effectiveness on outcomes like general well-being and distress as well as symptoms of psychological disorders.

Live support adds additional benefit

Adding a live human component to a digital intervention is likely to provide additional benefit, especially for teens. In a study of what teens want in a digital intervention supporting mental health, focus groups with teens showed they favor mobile health coaching and prefer online peer-to-peer interactions with a professional moderator to get support.

Peer-to-peer coaching is another effective method for delivering evidence-based skills. As a UCLA research study showed, coaching from trained peers, when delivered well and consistently online, can reduce the burden of mental illness for those who don’t have access to a licensed practitioner (e.g., a psychologist or a psychiatrist). The right combination of support that can reach all teens is likely to offer both a digital platform that is comfortable and inviting, and a live human component for those who need or want an extra level of support.

But wait, isn’t technology part of the problem?

Technology often gets blamed for causing the teen mental health crisis. I fully acknowledge that there are ways technology can be harmful to young people. Some teens use technology too much and what they find when they reach out for support can make things worse. That is why it is important to be aware of the safe, supportive tools that teens can use when they are struggling.

Excerpted from “Can Tech Help Prevent Teen Suicide?” by Danielle Ramo Ph.D., clinical psychologist, researcher in digital mental health and substance use, and Chief Clinical Officer at BeMe Health, a mobile mental health platform designed to improve teen wellbeing. Read the full article online in Psychology Today.

Source: Psychology Today | Can Tech Help Prevent Teen Suicide?, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/z-alpha/202209/can-tech-help-prevent-teen-suicide | © 2022 Sussex Publishers, LLC

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