A recent study has indicated that a digital therapeutic application, delivering cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) via smartphone, is linked to a sustained decrease in suicidal thoughts for up to 24 weeks after hospital discharge. The study also noted a 58% reduction in suicide attempts among adult inpatients with a history of prior attempts when compared to a control application. However, the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, did not meet its primary goal of demonstrating a difference in “time to first actual suicide attempt” for those without previous attempts.

The multi-site, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, which took place from 2022 to 2024, involved over 300 adults considered to be at increased risk for suicide. The participants, with an average age of 28, were primarily women (66%) and White (67%), and were recruited from six psychiatric inpatient units across the US. Among them, 170 had a history of suicide attempts. All participants received standard treatment and were randomly assigned to either 12 sessions of CBT modules