The findings were published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
(Representational Photo: Getty Images)
Mental health researchers have found that a therapy-based website can be helpful for those having suicidal thoughts. The websitenowmattersnow.org claims to focus on suicide prevention.
According to a report on the website of University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine in the US, the researchers behind the website consulted more than 3,000 visitors coming to the website. Almost one-third of them confirmed that they had lesser suicidal thoughts and also the intensity of their negative emotions had decreased (spending only a few minutes on the website), as compared to those thoughts before they visited the website.
The findings were published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The home page of the website carries a panel of video-linked images of individuals with lived experience and resources to explore Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) skills, DBT is a form of psychotherapy that combines behavioural science and Buddhist principles on mindfulness and acceptance.
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“We set out to build a free resource based not only in science but also with the voices and stories of people who had experienced suicidal thoughts,” said lead author Ursula Whiteside, a clinical psychologist at the UW School of Medicine.
Co-author Julie Richards, who works with the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, believes the website gives healthcare providers a resource for their patients.
Whiteside confidently said the results offered hope for people struggling to cope. The website was launched on September 10, 2014 on the World Suicide Prevention Day.
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