Suicide Prevention and New Technologies: Towards Evidence Based Practice

Throughout most of human history people with personal problems would need to seek out another person to obtain help or emotional support. The alternative was to deal with the problem oneself, pray for divine intervention or have some solace from religious beliefs. In more recent times, for those few with the ability and culture to do so, one could also seek information, guidance or support from printed books. The second half of the 20th century was a period when the use of face- to-face professional help expanded throughout the world. During this same period, books became a source of a “do-it-yourself” psychological treatment, with an exponential growth in self-help books for almost any human affliction. In the mid-20th century, a new technology, the telephone, expanded the options for help seeking. Telephone support for suicidal people expanded rapidly since the start of the Samaritan movement in the United Kingdom, founded by Reverend Chad Varah in 1953 (Mishara, 2012). Today, telephone helplines provide crisis inter- vention, emotional support and suicide prevention services throughout the world. For examples, Befrienders Worldwide has affiliate helplines in more than 40 countries that provide telephone help based upon the Samaritan approach.