Education for Mental Health Professionals Working With Child and Adolescent Patients With Suicidal Ideation About the Smartphone App SafeUT

From 2007 to 2014 in Utah, the youth suicide rate nearly tripled to 8.5 per 100,000, and is currently the leading cause of death among 10- to 17-year-olds. Compared to national statistics, the 2014 youth suicide rate in Utah is more than double the national rate. Considering these rates of suicide among children and adolescents nationally and in Utah, this population should receive more frequent observation and contact to monitor and intervene with their issues by way of an additional suicide awareness and prevention tool, such as a smartphone app. SafeUT is a smartphone application developed by the Utah State Legislature in collaboration with the University Neuropsychiatric Institute (UNI), the Utah State Office of Education, the Utah Office of the Attorney General, and the Utah Anti-Bullying Coalition. SafeUT is completely anonymous, available for free from both Apple and Android app stores, and easy to access with a cell phone. This study reflects the effectiveness of education about SafeUT to see if providing education to mental health professionals-including Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Masters of Social Work (MSWs), Clinical Social Workers (CSWs), psychologists, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), and Registered Nurses (RNs)-can increase and improve the awareness and knowledge of smartphone app for suicide prevention. An increased intent to introduce and an actual increase in the introduction rate after the education was observed among mental health professionals in the study. The data from three-step questionnaires provided data on the education's effectiveness on professionals' intent to introduce the smartphone app and knowledge and awareness of the app among mental health professionals. The study confirmed that mental health professionals' education had a positive impact on their intact knowledge, comfort level, and positive attitudes toward the need for additional tools for youth suicide prevention. Thus, implementing education in clinical settings about smartphone apps for suicide prevention and awareness can increase and improve professionals' intent to introduce, as well as increase the actual introduction rate, of a suicide awareness and prevention smartphone app to youth populations with suicidal ideation.