How to Develop a Suicide Prevention App Like Stay Alive?

According to a report by ResearchandMarkets.com, the global suicide prevention app market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period of 2020-2027. And why not? After all, in recent years, especially after the pandemic, there has been significant growth in the suicide prevention app development market. People actively seek help from online resources to help themselves or their loved ones from committing the unforgettable. In fact, the success of a suicide prevention app called Stay Alive has sparked an interest in suicide prevention app development.  

With 100k+ downloads and a 3.7 rating, the Stay Alive app has gained huge momentum because of its unique and user-focused functionalities, including wellness support, crisis management, motivational thoughts catered to the user, and more. Moreover, only a few apps like Stay Alive are available in the market.    

So, why not leverage this golden opportunity and invest in suicide prevention app development to leverage its market demand and vast target audience? That’s what our today’s blog post is all about.  

In this blog, we will explore the top features, benefits, tech stack, and the development process for creating a custom suicide prevention app like Stay Alive. We will also discuss how you can hire a talented development team to turn your ideas into a reality. So, let’s get started!   

What is a Suicide Prevention App?

Before proceeding with suicide prevention app development, let us quickly understand the underlying term, i.e., suicide prevention app. To put it in simple terms, a suicide prevention app is a digital solution that aims at helping people with mental problems, including anxiety, stress, depression, and frustration.   

It is a unique mental healthcare application that offers support and resources to people struggling with suicidal thoughts. Stay Alive is one such suicide prevention app that provides access to mental health resources.  

Stay Alive is available on the Play Store and App Store to provide practical tools and resources for people with suicidal urges. The app offers a safety plan, a customisable list of contacts for support, information on common myths and facts about suicide, grounding techniques, a mood diary, and links to professional support services.   

These suicidal apps, like Stay Alive, offer educational resources and information on warning signs, risk factors, and coping strategies. Hence, anyone suffering from depression or other mental disorders receives support and health awareness content for suicide prevention.   

Are there any Other Suicide Prevention Apps Playing Big in the Market?

The suicide prevention market is a growing segment in the healthcare industry. However, only a few apps like Stay Alive exist in the market. But just like you, some companies decided to invest in suicide prevention app development some time ago and are playing big in the market today. To name a few, we have:   

Headspace

Headspace is a unique mental healthcare and suicide prevention app aimed at improving mental health and well-being through guided meditation and mindfulness sessions. With Headspace, users can learn and practice meditation techniques that reduce stress and promote relaxation, all while building a daily mindfulness habit.  

Features:  

• Personalised meditation activities  
• Mindfulness exercises for improved focus, deeper breathing and relaxation  
• Access to livelier moments of the day  
• Reminders and Alerts

Calm Harm

Calm Harm is a free suicide prevention and mental healthcare application launched to help people manage self-harming tendencies. Through attentional rerouting and innovative intervention strategies, the app’s distraction techniques assist users in overcoming temptations to harm themselves.   

Features:

• Exercises to manage self-harm impulses   
• Guided mindful breathing exercises  
• Strategies for changing negative thinking patterns  
• Evidence-based activities   

MindShift

With the aid of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) methods, the MindShift mental health app is intended to assist users in managing their anxiety. It provides methods and resources for managing breathing exercises, modifying unfavourable mental habits, and fostering resilience.  

Features:  

• Anxiety and mood tracking  
• Trigger identification  
• Tools for shifting negative thoughts  
• Relaxation Audios

Wysa

Wysa is an AI-powered mental health mobile application that offers chat-based mental health support. The smart mental healthcare app provides 24/7 unfiltered emotional support as well as guided sessions on self-care, mindfulness, and CBT.   

Features:  

• Conversational AI  
• 24/7 emotional support  
• Guided sessions on self-care, anxiety, depression, etc.  
• Mood tracking  

What Features Should You Incorporate to Create a Distinguished Suicide Prevention App?

So, now that you have decided to create a custom suicide prevention app, it is important to know the most critical aspects that will help you build a successful mobile application. Yes, we are talking about the features. In today’s competitive world, when we have several options for a single thing, features are the only aspect that helps you become a distinguished brand.   

The same is true for a suicide prevention app. Hence, to help you with unique and user-focused suicide prevention app development, we have listed the best features you can incorporate into your app.

These are some of the most essential features that are a must for any suicide prevention app. However, to become a distinguished brand, you should have advanced features that can set you apart from competitors.   

So, here are some unique and advanced features for your custom suicide prevention app:

Sentiment Analysis

Your custom suicide prevention app should have a sentiment analysis feature that can analyse your users’ text responses and sentiment changes. It should also be capable of analysing the user’s social media activity to detect any sign of depression or suicide and intervene when necessary.  

Predictive Analytics

The predictive analytics module in your suicide prevention app will help you analyse your users’ usage patterns and data. You can easily get reports on their emotional and mental state over time to identify early warning signs of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.   

Machine Learning-based Risk Prediction

Risk prediction features will help you to categorise users based on their risk levels. That means you can personalise their treatment plans, mindful exercises, and support by assessing their mental conditions via an assessment made by an AI bot or a trained professional. Better and personalised support could easily enhance your app’s UX resulting in satisfied users and better revenues.    

Conversational Bots

Almost every app today uses an NLP-driven chatbot to offer real-time and personalised support to its users. You can move closer by offering a conversational chatbot in your suicide prevention app like Stay Alive. The conversational AI chatbot can easily converse with the users using NLP techniques. It can understand voice commands, texts, and even images to give your users an accurate and real-time response in their preferred language. This feature will greatly enhance your support and counselling operations.    

Behavioural Triggers

Ever thought of an app that can easily detect the changes in the tone, mood, and gestures of the users to identify the signs of depression or suicide? Well, here it is! You can use the behavioural trigger functionality of the suicide prevention app to detect sudden changes and intensity in your users’ tone, voice, or gesture to indicate suicidal tendencies.   

Augmented Reality for Relaxation

AR/VR can be the best technology to provide a virtual soothing experience to your users. You can implement an AI-based AR module that can help the user through relaxation programs, guided meditation, and other exercises that help reduce suicidal thoughts and mood swings. You can show them beautiful nature scenes, their happy memories, or any other things that help them relax.  

Predictive Modelling for Drug Interactions

Finally, we have predictive modelling for drug interaction feature that helps you identify the most promising drug and even offer you in-depth info on the possible side effects. Based on the user’s profile, the app can predict how medications may interact with them, alerting mental health professionals of possible long-term side effects.

Suicide Prevention App Development – A Step-by-Step Process for Creating an App Like Stay Alive

So, we are at the final and most important section of our blog post – the process of developing a suicide prevention app like Stay Alive. By far, we have discussed the top features of the leading mental health apps and concluded that investing in suicide prevention app development is the most profitable decision. But how to create an app like Stay Alive that gains huge momentum in the market?  

Well, that’s where experts come into play!  

Successful companies across industries hire talented mobile app developers to create engaging and user-focused apps. Hence, you should also partner with a talented team of professionals that can turn your ideas into a reality.   

Now, whether you hire freelancers or follow the league of successful businesses and partner with a reputed app development company, here’s what you have to follow for suicide prevention app development.  

Understand Your Target Market and Collect Data

The foremost step to creating a suicide prevention app like Stay Alive is identifying and understanding your target market. Since you have planned to create a suicide app, you will have a vast target market. However, you need to select a specific location with which you want to start.   

Once the initial geolocation is selected, you need to conduct a market analysis to identify your target audience’s major concerns. You can ask yourself questions like:  

• Who will benefit from my app?  
• Who are my competitors?  
• Why do people like a certain suicide prevention app? (In your case, it is Stay Alive)  
• What features should I incorporate to win over my competition?  
• What platforms should I target?  
• What resources will I need to create an app like Stay Alive?

Answering questions like these will help you understand your development goals and frame a suitable app development strategy.  

Create App Development Roadmap with Digital Consulting

Once you have identified the goals and understood the target market, the next and most crucial step is to connect with experts. You should seek digital consulting services from a trusted mobile app development company for many reasons, including (but not limited to):  

• Creating a roadmap that will list the procedure for suicide prevention app development.  
• Exploring and identifying the latest market trends suitable for your custom app.  
• Analysing your competitor’s strategy and selecting the best features for your app.  
• Identifying the resources and tech stack for your app, including the next-gen technologies which could be beneficial.

In short, expert consulting is the best way to ensure you create a user-focused and result-oriented suicide prevention app that plays long in the market.  

Hence, you can connect with a trusted app development company or can simply connect with us to book a free 30-minute consultation with our experts!  

Select the Best Features and Next-gen Technologies

Next in the line, we have features and a tech stack. Once you have identified your competitors, the latest market trends, and your target audience’s concerns, it is time to resolve those using unique features.   

Now, as a leading app development company, we have already listed the essential and advanced features for your suicide prevention app like Stay Alive. However, you would require working with some technologies and tools to implement those features. But what are those?   

Don’t worry; we have got you covered! Here’s a complete tech stack required for suicide prevention app development.   

• For Android App: Java, Kotlin  
• For iOS App: Swift, Objective C  
• For Cross-platform App: Flutter  
• Database: MongoDB, MySQL  
• API for Messaging: Twilio, Firebase Cloud Messaging, Apple Push Notification Service  
• Authentication API: Firebase Authentication, Okta API, Auth0 API  
• Cloud API: Google Cloud API, Amazon Web Services API, Microsoft Azure API

To implement AI, ML, and AR in your app, here’s the tech stack and APIs:  

• AI-based Sentiment Analysis: IBM Watson API, Microsoft Cognitive Services API, Google Cloud Natural Language API  
• ML-based chatbot: Dialogflow API, Wit.ai API, Botpress AI API  
• AR technology: ARKit, ARCore, Vuforia AR API, 8th Wall AR API   

You must note that this general tech stack is required to create a suicide prevention app like Stay Alive. You must connect with our experts to get a customised tech stack based on your ideas and requirements.   

Hire an Experienced App Development Company

The next and most crucial step to creating a suicide prevention app like Stay Alive is to hire dedicated developers. At this stage, you need to have a dedicated team of project managers, developers, and testers that can understand your goal and create an appropriate suicide prevention app. For that, you can partner with an experienced app development company. But why not hire freelancers?  

Well, choosing an experienced app development company over freelancers has its perks. For instance, you can easily access the top talent for your project anytime throughout the app development. Those expert developers, testers, consultants, and UI/UX designers have experience creating similar apps and can develop one based on your specific requirements.   

Moreover, some leading companies also offer flexible hiring models and needs-based scaling services with which you can hire dedicated developers at flexible prices and according to your project requirements. You even get a wide range of services, including DevOps consulting, cloud integration, security testing, UI/UX designing, and maintenance for your project.   

Well, at least Matellio offers all such benefits to the clients irrespective of their project and company size. Hence, you must choose your app development partner carefully!  

Read More: 8 Things to Consider When Selecting the App Development Company

UI/UX is Important

Besides features, if there’s anything that can affect your app’s success, it is UI/UX. UI stands for the user interface, and UX stands for the user experience. Both these terms are interconnected with each other. That means if your app has a simple yet engaging interface, the designs are clean, and the navigation is easy; then your app is said to have an excellent UI.   

An excellent UI eventually results in a good user experience and better brand value in the market. Hence, you must invest heavily in offering the best UX to your target audience. Well, you will not need to find the best UI/UX engineers if you partner with a reputable app development company. That’s because they already offer the best UI/UX engineers for your project. Hence, choose wisely!  

Always Follow the Agile Development Methodology for Creating the App

So, now we are at the most critical stage of suicide prevention app development – creating the app. Now that you have the required features, the best resources, and the knowledge of various market trends, you can start the development process. However, a major thing that you need to focus on while developing a suicide prevention app is to follow the Agile method.  

You must only partner with an app development company that follows the Agile development methodology, as it will be convenient for you to get real-time updates about your project. The Agile method breaks down your project into several sprints (parts) and lets you get an update after every sprint.   

That means you can check whether the app is being developed as expected. You can even introduce changes to your product at any sprint without disturbing the previous version. That means no effect on the overall app development time. Hence, always follow the Agile methodology while creating a suicide prevention app.   

Do not Forget Testing

Last but not least is testing. Testing is the most critical aspect of suicide prevention app development as it will help you detect even the smallest mistakes left unidentified during the development process. You can check your app’s performance, security, and other aspects through testing services.  

Hence, always ensure your app development partner offers testing as an integrated app development service. You can choose between automated and manual testing, whichever suits your project.

How Can Matellio Help You Create a Suicide Prevention App Like Stay Alive?

The need for suicide prevention apps like Stay Alive has become more critical than ever before, especially after the worldwide pandemic. People suffering from mental problems actively seek suicide prevention apps, and the success of Stay Alive has confirmed it. Hence, it is the best opportunity to invest in suicide prevention app development for faster growth and enhanced brand value.   

That’s where Matellio steps in!  

As a trusted mobile app development company, we have delivered many successful healthcare projects to organisations worldwide. Whether it be creating an AI-based mental health app, a suicide prevention app, or an IoT-based healthcare software solution, we are proficient in creating smart solutions for our clients, irrespective of the complexities involved.  

By partnering with us for suicide app development, you can access professional and cost-effective services, including consulting, DevOps, cloud migration, strategy creation, UI/UX, automated/manual testing, maintenance and support, legacy app modernisation, and more. Not to mention, we also offer free competitor and market analysis services along with a no-obligation quote for your project.   

So, why wait until you can start today? Connect with our experts over a free 30-minute consultation call and kickstart your project today! Fill out our form to get started.