World Suicide Prevention Day. How can an app make suicides preventable
Adrian Florian
co-CEO
Reading time: 2 min
Updated: Jul 2, 2026
Key takeaways
- More than 720,000 people die by suicide each year worldwide, and the topic is often under-reported (WHO).
- A reliable suicide prevention app should digitalise evidence-based methods, such as the six-step Safety Planning Intervention, and be built with mental-health professionals.
- Core features include a mood and symptom checker, coping strategies, trusted contacts, and a verified, regularly reviewed crisis helpline.
- UX and UI should feel gentle and human: soothing visuals, calming colours, and clear CTAs that guide users to the safest action.
- Wolfpack Digital has built mental-health products including Pamble (gambling-addiction treatment) and Medusa (meditation in Romanian).
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. Outside the US, you can find your nearest crisis centre through the IASP directory of crisis centres. In an emergency, contact your local emergency services.
Every year on 10 September, the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) leads World Suicide Prevention Day. The goal is to raise awareness about suicide and how to prevent it.
More than 720,000 people die by suicide each year, and many more attempt it (World Health Organization). Earlier estimates put the figure closer to 800,000, and studies note that suicide is often under-reported (BMC Medicine). Behind every number is a person, a family, and a community.
So how can a well-built app support suicide prevention? In this guide we look at the safety-plan framework, the features that matter most, and the UX and UI choices that help people feel safe.
How to build a reliable suicide prevention or depression app
The app stores are full of therapy apps, suicide prevention apps, and anxiety management apps. Only a few of them are truly accurate and genuinely help people.
Technology-based suicide prevention is still an emerging research field. A solid starting point is to digitalise proven, evidence-based methods rather than invent your own. One widely cited framework is the Safety Planning Intervention by Stanley, B. & Brown, G.K. (2011), Safety planning intervention: A brief intervention to mitigate suicide risk (Cognitive and Behavioral Practice). It covers six steps:
Building on a clinically validated model like this keeps your product grounded and safe, and it should always be developed alongside mental-health professionals.
Features to consider for a suicide prevention app
UX and UI for mental health apps
Mental health apps built by Wolfpack Digital
Build your medical software with Wolfpack Digital
We have a team of tech experts who understand what a mental health app needs, whether it is for suicide prevention, anxiety management, meditation, or patient management and communication. If you would like to learn more about compliant health products, read our guide on Software as a Medical Device, our lessons for building great medical software, and how we take mental health awareness seriously as a team.
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