Suicide-specific cell app affords lifesaving help after psychiatric discharge

A cell phone app designed to ship suicide-specific remedy diminished suicidal habits amongst high-risk psychiatric inpatients, in accordance with a brand new research by scientists at Yale Faculty of Medication and The Ohio State College Wexner Medical Heart and School of Medication.

The research, printed Aug. 8, 2025 in JAMA Community Open, discovered that the app, OTX-202, diminished the recurrence of post-discharge suicide makes an attempt by 58.3% amongst sufferers who had beforehand tried suicide. This discount is a vital achievement for a bunch that’s notably weak to repeated suicidal behaviors, the researchers stated.

Customers of the app additionally skilled sustained reductions in suicidal ideas for as much as 24 weeks after psychiatric hospitalization, in accordance with the research. In distinction, sufferers who used an lively management app along with remedy as standard confirmed early enchancment, however suicidal ideas rebounded by week 24.

These findings counsel that OTX-202 could assist protect long-term good points in psychological well being through the high-risk interval following hospital discharge, in accordance with the research.

“Though suicide-specific remedy is very efficient for decreasing suicidal ideas and urges, discovering therapists who understand how to do that life-saving remedy after leaving the hospital may be difficult. OTX-202 supplies a potential answer to that drawback,” stated research co-first creator Craig Bryan, PsyD, professor in Ohio State’s Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Well being and director of its Suicide Prevention Program.

Suicide stays among the many high 10 causes of dying within the U.S.; it’s the second main explanation for dying amongst people aged 10–14 and 25–34, the third main trigger amongst these aged 15–24, and the fourth main trigger amongst these aged 35–44. Since 1999, suicide charges have risen by greater than 33%. 

Annually, greater than 1 million adults interact in nonfatal suicidal habits, and practically 500,000 are hospitalized for suicide makes an attempt. Suicide and suicide makes an attempt additionally price the U.S. healthcare system and broader financial system an estimated $500 billion yearly, underscoring the pressing want for scalable, efficient, and economically viable interventions. Suicide is the one high killer with none prescription merchandise for the overwhelming majority of sufferers in danger. 

“The weeks and months following a suicide disaster and discharge from a hospital are among the many highest threat intervals for suicide makes an attempt and mortality, making it crucial to supply efficient, suicide-specific interventions throughout this weak window. OTX-202 addresses this vital want,” stated co-first creator Patricia Simon, PhD, Assistant Professor Adjunct at Yale Faculty of Medication. 

OTX-202, developed by Oui Therapeutics, affords a scalable and cost-effective method throughout this vital hole.

Testing of OTX-202 by the Yale and Ohio State researchers concerned a multi-site, double-blind randomized managed trial with 339 psychiatric inpatients from six various hospitals throughout the US.

The members had been randomly assigned to both the OTX-202 app or an lively management app, each along with their standard remedy. The OTX-202 app delivered a suicide-specific remedy module whereas the management app included security planning and psychoeducation.

In comparison with the lively management, sufferers utilizing OTX-202 had been considerably extra prone to present scientific enchancment, as measured by the Medical World Impression for Severity of Suicide-Change (CGI-SSC) scale. The CGI is broadly used as a result of it supplies a standardized, clinician-rated measure of symptom severity and enchancment over time, permitting for constant evaluation throughout various affected person populations and remedy settings.

Sufferers and people who take care of them should not have entry to dependable and efficient instruments and assets to cut back future suicide threat. This inhabitants faces arguably the largest hole in entry to efficient interventions of any main killer. The potential scientific and inhabitants well being influence of this new possibility is extraordinary. We’re extremely appreciative of the help supplied by everybody concerned, particularly the Nationwide Institute of Psychological Well being (NIMH) who supplied funding for the research.”

Seth Feuerstein, MD, JD, senior creator, member of the school at Yale

Yale authors embody Patricia Simon, PhD; Samuel T. Wilkinson, MD; Lauren Astorino, MSN, APRN; Alecia D. Dager, PhD; and Seth Feuerstein, MD, JD.

Ohio State authors embody Craig Bryan, PsyD; Kristen M. Carpenter, PhD; Luke Misquitta, MD; Katherine Brownlowe, MD; Lauren R. Khazem, PhD; Jarred Hay and Austin G. Starkey. 

Funding help: This analysis was supported partly by Oui Therapeutics Inc and by a grant from the Nationwide Institute of Psychological Well being (R42MH123357).

The research was funded by a grant from the Nationwide Institute of Psychological Well being. The content material is solely the duty of the authors, and it doesn’t essentially symbolize the official views of the Nationwide Institutes of Well being.