distrACT
If you're supporting people who self-harm and feel suicidal and your services are under strain, you can now provide easy access to wellbeing information, self-help tips and links to support with the award-winning distrACT app.
distrACT is a trusted FREE resource for any health and care provider in the UK — from NHS organisations to universities, local authorities, health charities, and the private mental health sector.
Use the app at no cost to provide reliable health information at scale, promote safe self-care, address harmful misinformation, give options, and direct people to available services — all in one safe place.
Customise the app for your area or organisation (as an optional extra) to increase your reach and make local information more accessible.
Free download
Search for 'distrACT' on your phone's app store, or visit:
- iPhone: Apple App Store - apps.apple.com.
- Android: Google Play - play.google.com
The story of distrACT
In 2016, the Director of the Bristol Royal Infirmary Psychiatric Liason Team asked us to create a digital alternative to their printed information for people who self-harm and felt suicidal. Producing and distributing the leaflet was costly and ineffective. It could hold only limited information and went out of date quickly.
Inspired by talking with people attending the local A&E department for self-harm or suicidal thoughts, the team felt an app would enable staff to provide patients with reliable, up-to-date information in seconds.
Their patients wanted a one-stop-shop app that was easy to use, worked offline, held reliable information, and could be customised for local areas. A resource that people could download discreetly and that could become a 'good friend' at times of crisis and during recovery.
We partnered with the Bristol Health Partners Self-harm Matters Health Integration Team and developed distrACT with mental health professionals, people with lived experience of self-harm and suicidal thoughts, and mental health charities. The app launched in October 2017 and undergoes regular review.
distrACT has 100,000+ downloads and over 4,000+ monthly page views. It won the British Medical Association Patient Information Award for Wellbeing in 2019 and was 'highly commended' at the Healthwatch #NHS70 Awards.
distrACT has become a national UK resource for self-harm support and suicide prevention. In 2024, it was the first app to be added to the new MIND App Library. It has been integrated into NHS service pathways as the primary information resource for self-management of self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Use distrACT to support your mission.
- Self-help techniques: Give people instant access to a wide array of methods to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and uplift mood.
- Crisis intervention: Provide quick links to emergency contacts and crisis resources for immediate support, while waiting for care, or during recovery.
- Customisation: Customise distrACT (entirely optional) with an organisational homepage and local service directory. Customisation allows your organisation to make people more aware of available support in your area and relieve avoidable service pressures.
CUSTOMISE APPS FOR YOUR LOCAL AREA
Intended key outcomes
Through public health eductation, distrACT app aims to:
- Reduce self-harm
- Prevent crises and suicides
- Lessen avoidable pressure on mental health and emergency services
- Give people people hope
- Facilitate a better experience of care
Who created distrACT
distrACT was co-created by practising UK health professionals together with people with lived experience of self-harm and experts in self-harm and suicide prevention.
Development partners include Bristol Health Partners, Self-Injury Support, Self-Injury Self Help, the University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Bristol, with additional input from other local and national organisations.
Feedback and testimonials
"I'm blown away, it's brilliant. Thank you for helping restore my faith back into human kindness with this non-judgemental app."
User feedback via Twitter (direct message)"Self-harm often occurs at times of great psychological distress, so it's nice to see that there is help out there in the form of this new app. I like that it's sensitive, easy to navigate, and promotes emotional wellbeing no matter where you are in your journey."
L.T., Public Contributor with personal experience of self-harm"The app can help people understand why they're using self-injury and then they're better equipped to talk to someone in 'real life'. It's something that's discreet, private and you can access at any time and that's what people who contact our services tell us they want."
Naomi Salisbury, Director of UK charity Self-Injury Support"The distrACT app is a safe alternative to put in people's hands. So if they're thinking about self-harm or have self-harmed they can have a resource at their fingertips."
Dr Dominique Thompson, Student Mental Health Expert and GP"This app is professional, well-thought out and structured and is a must if you are concerned about self-harm or feeling suicidal and don't know what to do next. I highly recommend it."
Anonymous app user"Will definitely recommend to my friend. Beautiful app with extremely useful information!"
Anonymous app user
How the app is funded.
Expert Self Care funded the app's development. The app generates revenue from (entirely optional) subscriptions to local customised pages for provider organisations.
Feel reassured.
distrACT was developed and is regularly reviewed in line with our robust editorial standards and quality assurance processes.
- PIF Tick: Certified by the Patient Information Forum PIF Tick, the only independently-assessed quality mark for print and digital health information.
- ORCHA App Libraries: Evaluated by the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Applications (ORCHA) and listed on ORCHA app libraries.
- NHS DTAC: The app complies with the NHS Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC), which give staff, patients and citizens confidence that the app meets NHS clinical safety, data protection, technical security, interoperability, and usability and accessibility standards.
How to implement distrACT
Easily integrate distrACT into your service pathways. Simply make people aware of the app. Cost-free, without organisational or user registration.
Customising the app for your local area allows you to add local home and signposting pages to raise awareness of your organisation and signpost support.
CUSTOMISE APPS FOR YOUR LOCAL AREA
Get in touch
Please get in touch with us to learn more about distrACT or to discuss customising it for your organisation or local area.
Page last reviewed: 4 July 2024