BeyondNow is a smartphone app that documents a safety plan designed to keep the app user safe when feeling suicidal. BeyondNow was developed by Beyond Blue together, people with lived experience of suicide and practitioners and researchers who work with people who are at risk of suicide.
While delivering interventions and supports via smartphone apps is now commonplace, very few apps have been rigorously evaluated. A trial of BeyondNow together with treatment as usual demonstrated that the app use was associated with improvements in suicide-related coping and reductions in suicidal ideation (Melvin et al. 2019). BeyondNow was also viewed as being highly acceptable to study participants. Since this study was completed, new features have been added to BeyondNow including greater reference to cultural, sexual and gender diversity, in particular LGBTIQA+ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
In this study we will be investigating the acceptability, relevance and benefit of BeyondNow to members of the LGBTIQA+ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The project will survey app users and a series of interviews will be undertaken with stakeholders. The project will be guided by an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander and LGBTIQA+ advisory groups.