CU Anschutz part of multi-state study: smartphone app cuts repeat suicide attempts by over half after hospital discharge

AURORA, Colo. (August 19, 2025) – A nationwide study with researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Yale School of Medicine and The Ohio State University, showed how a smartphone app reduced repeated suicide attempts by 58.3% among patients with a prior history of attempting suicide.

Each year, more than one million adults in the United States engage in nonfatal suicidal behavior and nearly 500,000 are hospitalized following a suicide attempt. These high-risk periods, especially just after discharge from inpatient psychiatric care, represent a critical window for intervention.

The study, published August 8th in JAMA Network Open, tested whether a smartphone-based digital therapy, grounded in proven talk therapy strategies, could reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors after hospital discharge. The research followed 339 adult patients across six hospitals nationwide over several months.

“This study opens the door to a new generation of suicide prevention strategies that extend beyond the clinic or hospital room,” said study co-author Michael Allen, MD, professor of psychiatry at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine. “We are discovering that digital tools, when introduced at the right moment, can truly make a difference for people at high risk.”

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Helena Winston, MD, and Professor of Psychiatry Scott Simpson, MD, MPH, of CU Anschutz also co-authored the study.

The app, called OTX-202, was developed by health tech company Oui Therapeutics.

It guided users through 12 short lessons focused on managing emotions, handling suicidal thoughts and building safety plans. Patients began using the app while still hospitalized and continued after discharge, alongside standard mental health care and follow-up.

To test its effectiveness, researchers compared OTX-202 with an active control app that also engaged patients but provided only general mental health support without the targeted therapeutic lessons.

Researchers said it significantly benefited those with a prior history of suicide attempts. In this group, users had fewer repeat suicide attempts, greater improvements in overall mental health and a sustained reduction in suicidal thoughts lasting up to 24 weeks after discharge. By contrast, patients using the control app showed early improvement but suicidal thoughts returned by week 24.

“This is a powerful example of how science can evolve to meet patients where they are,” said Neill Epperson, MD, professor and chair of the CU Anschutz Department of Psychiatry. “Digital tools like this won’t replace in-person care, but they can help fill in the gaps especially during those first few weeks after discharge when patients are most at risk. This is the future of mental health care, which is smarter, more accessible and tailored to the needs of each person.”

Researchers say the results offer hope for high-risk populations and mark an important step forward in personalized suicide prevention.

“Suicide remains one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States and rates have risen more than 30% since 1999,” said Allen. “For people with a history of suicide attempts, we urgently need new ways to offer support. Digital tools can help provide potentially life-saving help when it’s needed most.”

Allen noted that the current health system is not designed to support those with suicidal tendencies. People are often admitted to a hospital, feel better after a few days and sent home. Then suicidal thoughts return.

“This treatment is designed to be there during that critical transition after hospital discharge when immediate help may not be readily available,” he said.

Clinical sites included UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colo.; Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus; Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut; the Menninger Clinic in Houston; Western Psychiatric Hospital in Pittsburgh; and Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in Grand Rapids.

About the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a world-class medical destination at the forefront of transformative science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus encompasses the University of Colorado health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes and two nationally ranked independent hospitals - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado – which see more than two million adult and pediatric patient visits yearly. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus delivers life-changing treatments, patient care and
professional training and conducts world-renowned research fueled by $910 million in annual research funding, including $757 million in sponsored awards and $153 million in philanthropic gifts.