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A cell phone app designed to ship suicide-specific remedy lowered suicidal conduct amongst high-risk psychiatric inpatients, in line with a brand new examine by scientists at Yale College of Medication and The Ohio State College Wexner Medical Middle and Faculty of Medication.
The examine, printed in JAMA Community Open, discovered that the app, OTX-202, lowered the recurrence of post-discharge suicide makes an attempt by 58.3% amongst sufferers who had beforehand tried suicide. This discount is a important achievement for a gaggle that’s notably susceptible 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 line with the examine. In distinction, sufferers who used an lively management app along with remedy as traditional confirmed early enchancment, however suicidal ideas rebounded by week 24.
These findings recommend that OTX-202 might assist protect long-term positive aspects in psychological well being through the high-risk interval following hospital discharge, in line with the examine.
“Although suicide-specific therapy is highly effective for reducing suicidal thoughts and urges, finding therapists who know how to do this life-saving therapy after leaving the hospital can be challenging. OTX-202 provides a possible solution to that problem,” stated examine co-first writer 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 reason behind 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 have interaction in nonfatal suicidal conduct, and almost 500,000 are hospitalized for suicide makes an attempt. Suicide and suicide makes an attempt additionally value the U.S. well being care system and broader economic 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 crisis and discharge from a hospital are among the highest risk periods for suicide attempts and mortality, making it imperative to offer effective, suicide-specific interventions during this vulnerable window. OTX-202 addresses this critical need,” stated co-first writer Patricia Simon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Adjunct at Yale College of Medication.
OTX-202, developed by Oui Therapeutics, presents a scalable and cost-effective strategy throughout this important 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 USA.
The contributors have been randomly assigned to both the OTX-202 app or an lively management app, each along with their traditional 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 have been considerably extra prone to present scientific enchancment, as measured by the Scientific World Impression for Severity of Suicide-Change (CGI-SSC) scale. The CGI is broadly used as a result of it offers a standardized, clinician-rated measure of symptom severity and enchancment over time, permitting for constant evaluation throughout various affected person populations and remedy settings.
“Patients and those who care for them do not have access to reliable and effective tools and resources to reduce future suicide risk. This population faces arguably the biggest gap in access to effective interventions of any leading killer. The potential clinical and population health impact of this new option is extraordinary,” stated senior writer Seth Feuerstein, MD, JD, a member of the college at Yale.
Extra data:
A Digital Therapeutic Intervention for Inpatients with Elevated Suicide Danger, JAMA Community Open (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.25809
Offered by
Ohio State College Medical Middle
Quotation:
Cell phone app reduces suicidal conduct amongst high-risk sufferers, new examine exhibits (2025, August 8)
retrieved 9 August 2025
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