What do you do when you’re feeling suicidal and no one is around to help? A new smartphone application, MindMe, designed to prevent suicide, is in the process of production. MindMe is an app that helps users track their emotions and get help when they are feeling suicidal.
David Putrino, a director of telemedicine and virtual rehabilitation at Burke Medical Research Institute, who is helping develop the app, told Buzzfeed Health, “We hear from therapists that no matter how carefully they explain strategies to their clients, if someone is inconsolably upset because a trigger occurs, they’re not going to remember what they’ve learned in therapy.”
When a trigger occurs and someone feels suicidal, the app guides the user through therapeutic exercises, videos, and strategies.
“Suicide is a big issue in our world, and I think we need to help combat it using modern technology,” said Kami Durairaj, a junior at Harvard-Westlake School. “I think this app will be a great way to offer help to suicidal people. Hopefully it gets released soon, so it could help the public.”
According to the World Health Organization, over 800,000 people around the world commit suicide yearly. The app could prevent numerous suicides by offering personalized help in times where people may not reach out for help, or cannot get help.
It is currently in its testing stage, and has turned to the public for financial support. The team needs to raise $100,000 for a large clinical trial to prove that the app can prevent suicide in people that are at-risk. It has raised $20,000 so far.
