Case study

Reaching young people in crisis with digital health

How Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide uses ORCHA to put safe, assured digital health tools at the heart of its support pathways

Sector:

Suicide Prevention Charity

Challenge:

Overcoming barriers to supporting young people like cost, waiting lists, location

Solution:

Curated digital app library of safe tools for young people

About Papyrus

Papyrus is a leading UK charity dedicated to preventing suicide in young people.

Through its HopeLine247 service, trained advisors provide confidential support to people experiencing suicidal thoughts and to the families, friends, and professionals concerned for someone they care about.

Every contact matters. Every referral to a safe, trusted resource has the potential to make a real difference.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call their HopeLine on 0300 102 2470, text HOPE to 88247 or email pat@papyrus-org.uk.

The challenge

Young people in crisis face multiple barriers when trying to access support. Cost, geography, waiting lists, and the fear of being seen or judged all get in the way. Many are reluctant to call a helpline. Some cannot leave the house. Others simply need something they can access privately, from bed, in the middle of the night.

At the same time, Papyrus advisors needed a credible, safe way to extend their support beyond the call itself. Pointing someone to a random website or search result carries real risk when the user is vulnerable. Any digital tool recommended in a suicide prevention context must be clinically assured, age-appropriate, and genuinely fit for purpose.

The challenge was finding a way to give advisors confidence in the tools they recommend, and to give young people a practical, accessible next step.

The solution

Papyrus worked with ORCHA to build a curated digital health library, giving advisors a bank of safe, evaluated tools they can recommend with confidence.

Every product in the library has been reviewed against ORCHA's rigorous assessment framework, covering clinical safety, evidence base, data privacy, and usability.

The app library has proven to be a really valuable resource for people contacting HopeLine247. As we know every app in our library has been reviewed by ORCHA, it gives us confidence to share it with our contacts and improve the support tools they have.

Tom North

Suicide Prevention Adviser at PAPYRUS

Eight curated collections, built around real need

The library is organised into specific collections so advisors and users can quickly find tools relevant to what they're experiencing:

Suicide prevention
Managing self-harm
Anxiety
Depression
Exam stress
Wellbeing whilst on a waiting list
Neurodivergence
Supporting someone else

Papyrus also creates specific landing pages tied to seasonal or topical events, such as exam season, so users find content that speaks directly to what they're facing right now.

Apps that work differently to other resources

Apps offer something that videos or articles cannot. They are interactive, responsive, and available on demand. For a young person who won't pick up the phone, an app can be the easier first step. For someone struggling at 2am, it may be the only step available.

Digital tools can also cover ground that traditional support routes do not, including healthy living, self-care, and peer connection, giving people more ways to look after themselves alongside whatever other support they're receiving.

How Papyrus embed digital referrals

The library is built into how Papyrus operates:

At the end of every call

Advisors agree an action plan and provide a link to the library

Across communication channels

Including emails, web chats, and post-call text messages, signposts to the library

Out of hours, when other options aren't available

The library gives advisors a practical resource to offer

Embedded in advisor training

Papyrus runs dedicated training sessions on how to use the library and its benefits

Expanding into community settings

Suicide Prevention Officers who visit schools, universities, and freshers' fairs are being encouraged to incorporate the library into their work with communities

Spotlight on most downloaded technology: Tellmi

The most downloaded app through the Papyrus library is Tellmi, a moderated, anonymous peer support platform designed for young people.

Tellmi allows users to:

Share how they are feeling in a safe, supportive environment
Receive responses from a trained peer community
Access moderation to ensure conversations remain safe and appropriate
Feel less isolated by connecting with others experiencing similar challenges

Its combination of peer connection, anonymity, and professional moderation makes it particularly valuable for young people who may find it difficult to open up in traditional settings.

ORCHA offer us great support to ensure we keep our library up to date with current events and themes we hear on the helpline. The detailed data insights they share with us help us shape our practice and continue to support people with thoughts of suicide.

Tom North

Suicide Prevention Officer at PAPYRUS

The impact

Over 1,000 app recommendations made by Papyrus staff in the last 12 months. Nearly 2,000 app downloads since January 2025. These numbers represent real people, many of them young, many of them in distress, who took a next step.

For an organisation doing the work Papyrus does, every engagement with a safe digital tool is a direct extension of the support it provides. Digital is not a replacement for human connection. It is a way to reach people when human connection is not yet possible, and to keep the door open until it is.

For young people, where digital is already woven into daily life, a trusted app can be the most natural gateway to getting help.