Albany County has launched a free app to prevent suicide; HOPE (Help, Options, Prevention and Education) offers information and resources for people who are in crisis or who know someone in crisis.

The Albany County HOPE app provides real-time information that can be accessed at any time. The roll out comes as the county marks Bullying Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about the toll that bullying can exact on young people.  

“Suicide is a serious public health issue that severely impacts our community,” said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy in a release from his office. “The Albany County HOPE app is an accessible and convenient tool people can use to quickly get the help they need using the latest technology. People increasingly rely on mobile phones and other devices to communicate and share information. The app will also enable the public to identify when someone may need help and where they can get help.”

A Yale University study shows that victims of bullying are two to nine times more likely to consider suicide than those who haven’t been bullied while another study has found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying.

The app was designed with input from the Albany County Department of Mental Health and Albany County Department For Children, Youth and Families.  It offers information for adolescents, teens, veterans, and adults, providing tips on warning signs and what to say to someone who may be suicidal and other resources. Every screen on the app contains a “call for help” option that links to a local mental health crisis hotline.

Recent studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that, while the overall rate for the top 10 causes of death in the United States decreased, the suicide rate increased 2 percent to 12.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2012. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.       

Albany County is the second county in the state to launch a suicide prevention app. Ulster County launched a similar app last year and made the code available for use by other counties. The free app is available for Android devices at the Google Play Store, on Apple devices at the iTunes Store, and can be found using the search term Albany County HOPE.