The acceptability, safety, and effects of a smartphone application for university students who self-harm: an open study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Many university students self-harm but very few seek professional support for it. Smartphone apps have been identified as acceptable sources of support for students who self-harm, but they are yet to be explored in this population. OBJECTIVE This study sought to explore the acceptability, safety and effects of a specific app (BlueIce) with university students. METHODS This was a small, exploratory, mixed methods study with university students attending university wellbeing services who were struggling with self-harm. Self-harm thoughts and behaviours, coping self-efficacy, and symptoms of anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder were measured before and after students used the app alongside treatment as usual for 6 weeks. Follow up interviews were also used to explore how students perceived BlueIce in more in depth. RESULTS There were improvements in scores on measures of mental health, and participants found BlueIce to be acceptable, safe and helpful. They reported feeling more able to cope with difficult feelings following using the app, and better understood what triggered self-harm for them. They also discussed how it had benefitted their general wellbeing, and felt it could be widely helpful for students struggling with various difficulties further to self-harm. CONCLUSIONS Overall, BlueIce was an acceptable, safe and helpful source of support for university students struggling with self-harm thoughts and/or behaviours in this study. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

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