App-on-Tap: Using technology in the prevention of suicide
Suicide Prevention Webinar:
Tuesday February 11, 2014 1 to 1:40 p.m. ET
Presented By:
The Mental Health Commission of Canada &
Dr. Simon Hatcher, The Royal & The University of Ottawa
Agenda
1. Mental Health Commission of Canada
• Who we are
• Our role in suicide prevention
• Overview of Webinar Series
2. App-on-Tap: Using technology in the prevention of suicide
• Simon Hatcher, MD
• Presentation
• Q&A
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Mandate (2007-2017)
“The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is a catalyst for improving the mental health system and changing the
attitudes and behaviours of Canadians around mental health issues. Through its unique mandate from Health Canada, the
MHCC brings together leaders and organizations from across the country to accelerate these changes.”
Program areas and priorities 2013-2015
Workplace Anti-Stigma Housing and Homelessness
Mental Health First Aid
Suicide Prevention
Mental Health Strategy of Canada
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Suicide Prevention Webinar Series
Purpose
• Focus on suicide prevention, postvention and intervention across the lifespan;
• Share knowledge, resources and lessons learned with Canadians; and
• Showcase promising practices from across Canada and abroad.
Learning Objectives
• Create and exchange knowledge about the topic;
• Understand link between suicide and mental illness;
• Increase levels of comfort and confidence in addressing and discussing suicide;
• Increase awareness of resources and how to access them.
Simon Hatcher, MD
Dr. Simon Hatcher, MD, is currently a Full Professor of Psychiatry at The University of Ottawa, having moved there from Auckland in 2012.
His main research interests include suicide, self-harm, psychotherapies, psychiatry in the general hospital setting and e-therapies.
Currently, he is based clinically at The Royal (Ottawa) providing services in the downtown homeless shelters and working in the Liaison Psychiatry service at The Ottawa General Hospital. He is the vice chair of research in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Ottawa.
App-on-Tap: Using technology in the prevention of suicide
Simon Hatcher MD [email protected]
Twitter @shatchernz
Technology that promotes suicide
Cyberbullying Suicide websites
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Suicide prevention (http://www.eaad.net/)
•Mental health literacy through information and training
•E-therapies
•Big data
•Monitoring
•Little role for technology except education
•E-therapies in stepped care
•Decision support in primary care
•Monitoring
•Virtual clinics and referral
brokerage Improve
detection treatment of and
depression
Reduce access to
means
Improve mental
health literacy Improve
services for high risk populations
What technology?
Computerized or e-therapies
Monitoring and wearable devices Telemedicine
Big data
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E-therapies
1. First generation – “books on-line”
2. Second generation – some on-line interaction – fill in
questionnaires, answer quizzes, learning by gaming (SPARX) 3. Third generation – integration with mobile
phones/email/smart devices
4. Fourth generation – smart environments and “mobile therapist”
Benefits of e-therapies
• Convenient for users - can access from home, no waiting lists or stigma
• Can be tailored for specific groups
• Addresses work force problems
• Cost effective (?)
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Problems with new technologies
• Reinforce inequalities – access and language
• Evidence of effectiveness is controversial and limited
• Ethics of monitoring
• Rapidly outdated
• Privacy and risk issues
• Seductive (!)
French sleep apnoea sufferers with breathing masks risk having treatment funding withdrawn if remote monitoring determines they are 'non-compliant'.
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Do they work?
Recommended by NICE for mild to moderate depression and anxiety
But evidence not strong and in non-clinical populations.
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National depression initiative
• Reduce stigma
• Educate GP’s – guidelines, training
• Use of a celebrity - John Kirwan – Depression.org.nz
• Social marketing (TV)
• E-therapy for mild to moderate depression (online)
• Telephone help line
Big data
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What is the research agenda?
•
Need to have randomization but also use techniques from social marketing to produce timely data
•
Where do e-therapies fit within stepped care?
•
Acceptability and feasibility (access, low tech alternatives)
•
Minority preferences
•
How to interact with humans to produce change in behaviour
•
Reasons for drop outs
•
What training is needed for clinicians to use computerized therapies
•
Privacy, risk and ethical issues
Questions for Simon?
Contact info:
Twitter: @shatchernz
Email: [email protected]
More Information:
Continue the conversation by visiting MHCC’s Collaborative Spaces:
http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/mhcc-collaborative-spaces Meg Schellenberg, Knowledge Broker:
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Thank you!
Contact us: [email protected] Visit: www.mentalhealthcommission.ca
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The views represented herein solely represent the views of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Production of this document is made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada.
Les opinions exprimées aux présentes sont celles de la Commission de la santé mentale du Canada.
La production de ce document a été rendue possible grâce à la contribution financière de Santé Canada.
