A North West company has created a new augmented reality service to bring “potentially life-saving” human contact to people at risk of suicide.
Media and Digital, which is based in Warrington and MediaCityUK has been working with charity James’ Place to create the technology.
Simply scanning a Crisis Card with a mobile phone brings to life an AR human being, intended to breakdown the barrier of asking for help, as well as offering warmth, support and advice.
The hope is that using the card promotes engagement with the charity and makes the person feel less alone.
“When we were approached by The Innovation Agency on behalf of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, we knew immediately how we could use the power of AR to reach out to and really engage with this demographic,” explained Stuart Atherton, Managing Director of MaD said:
“The feeling of having someone to talk to greatly lessens the possibility of an individual taking their own life – and the Crisis Card offers a supportive, one-to-one environment in a safe and familiar format. Crucially, all interactions are measurable so that we can evaluate the success of the campaign and evidence the impact of its intervention.”
The James’ Place Crisis Card is now being distributed to university campuses, sports stadiums and A&E departments as a new way to target men.
Posters also featuring the AR code are promoting the initiative.
“We chose Liverpool as the home for the first James’ Place, as the city is an area of high mental health need and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is one of the best and most innovative mental health providers in the country. We are proud that our partnership allows us to offer Crisis Cards to help men access the essential services they need,” explained Jane Boland, Centre Manager at James’ Place.
“We know that many men who have died by suicide did not ask for help before they took their life. We hope that watching our video will make it easier for men to access life saving help.”
