Successful Danish e-health app launching in Ireland

March 9, 2023 - PRLog -- More than 50.000 people from Denmark and Norway have installed the safety plan Minplan on their smartphones.

"I am constantly reminded that I need to distract and realign myself when the dark thoughts come." App user, 40 years

This is just one of the quotes from the research investigating how Minplan helps people in severe mental crises. And now, the app is just made available in Ireland.

The company is doing this because suicide in Ireland has the 17^th-highest rate in Europe and the 4^th-highest among men. And the number of people with one or more suicide attempts might be 20 times higher. Mental illness, alcohol consumption, and unemployment are the most significant risk factors.

"Ideally, all people in mental crisis should have professional help. But we know that, due to stigma, taboo, and geographical distance, only 50% of the people get help. Safety plans are considered an important component of a comprehensive treatment plan among mental health professionals working with patients with mental crises. So it makes sense to release the safety plan as a self-help tool, so people who do not seek professional help can find the resource as an app."

Says the female founder Jette Larsen.

The original Minplan app for suicide prevention safety planning was developed in 2014 and is now a part of the health care system. Users of Minplan can electronically link warning signs to potential coping strategies. In addition, the app facilitates mood ratings and calendar functions and direct links to personally selected contact persons, hotlines, and directions to the nearest emergency department.

To celebrate the release and fight stigma and taboo in Ireland, Minplan holds an art challenge on social media. The challenge runs until May, and everybody can participate in helping other people fight mental health crises.

Visit Minplan here (always freely available):

Minplan on the App Store (apple.com) (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/minplan/id1665645155)

Minplan – Apps on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.minplan...)