Can regular texts reduce suicide risk in the military?

Researchers hoping to bring down the high rate of suicide among military personnel tried a simple intervention: send caring texts every once in a while. The messages, called Caring Contacts, have been shown to reduce suicidal thoughts and deaths in other settings. The messages from clinicians are as simple as "hope you're having a good day today."  But a new trial in 657 military members with suicidal thoughts turned up mixed results. After a year, people who received texts were just as likely as those who didn’t to have been hospitalized for suicide risk or report current suicidal thoughts. But they were less likely to have attempted suicide or experienced suicidal thoughts during the study. Despite the shortcomings, the authors say the texts could be a tool to help curb suicide risk in the military.