Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Suicide.ca, Quebec's Digital Suicide Prevention Strategy Platform: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: In 2017, the Quebec government assigned the Association québécoise de prévention du suicide (AQPS) to develop a digital suicide prevention strategy (DSPS). The AQPS responded by creating a centralized website that provides information on suicide and mental health, identifies at-risk individuals on the internet, and offers direct crisis intervention support via chat and text.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of suicide.ca, Quebec's DSPS platform.

Methods: This study used a cross-sectional descriptive design. The study population comprised internet users from Quebec, Canada, who visited the suicide.ca platform between October 2020 and October 2021. Various data sources, such as Google Analytics, Firebase Console, and Customer Relation Management data, were analyzed to document the use of the platform. To understand the profile of suicide.ca users, frequency analyses were conducted using data from the self-assessment module questionnaires, the intervention service's triage questionnaire, and the counselors' intervention reports. The effectiveness of the platform's promotional activities on social media was assessed by examining traffic peaks. Google Analytics was used to evaluate the effectiveness of AQPS' strategy for identifying at-risk internet users. The impact of the intervention service was evaluated through an analysis of counselors' intervention reports and postintervention survey results.

Results: The platform received traffic from a diverse range of sources, with promotional efforts on social media directly contributing to the increased traffic. The requirement of a user account posed a barrier to the use of the mobile app, and a triage question that involved personal information led to a substantial number of dropouts during the intervention service triage. AdWords campaigns and fact sheets addressing suicide risk factors played a crucial role in driving traffic to the platform. With regard to the profile of suicide.ca users, the findings revealed that the platform engaged individuals with diverse levels of suicidal risk. Notably, users of the chat service displayed a higher suicide risk than those who used the self-assessment module. Crisis chat counselors reported a positive impact on approximately half of the contacts, and overall, intervention service users expressed satisfaction with the support they received.

Conclusions: A centralized digital platform can be used to implement a DSPS, effectively reaching the general population, individuals with risk factors for suicide, and those facing suicidal issues.

Keywords: Canada; Google Analytics; Quebec; communication technology; digital mental health; digital strategy; helpline; information and communication technology; information technology; mental health; mobile app; mobile phone; prevention; prevention strategy; psychoeducation; public health; questionnaire; risk factor; suicide; suicide prevention; suicide risk; text; users; website.

Figure 1

Dropouts at triage (suicidal individuals aged ≥14 y). SIDAS-FR: Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale—French version.

Figure 2

Impact of the promotional activities on the platform’s traffic.