UST Global Malaysia Partners With NGO Befrienders to Aid Suicide Prevention

PENANG, Malaysia, October 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

UST Global Malaysia, a subsidiary of US-based UST Global Inc., a leading digital technology services company, today launched its digital intelligence platform to assist a Non-Profit Organization, Befrienders Penang, Malaysia, in their record retention and data management of those battling with personal crisis or emotional distress or even suicidal tendencies who reached for their services. Together with Befrienders, UST Global is enabling a digital platform for better data analytics to help the organization provide a more focused and strategic approach towards suicide prevention not only in Penang but throughout Malaysia.

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Commenting on the occasion, Amar Chhajer, Country Head, UST Global Malaysia, said, "Depression and having suicidal tendencies are medical issues that cannot be taken lightly. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death globally and is notably a significant cause of death amongst young people. At UST Global, we are committed to building a safer community. The Befrienders' commitment to suicide prevention has encouraged us to come up with a digital platform which will empower them to gather and store data, facilitate a more efficient and effective way to get analytics and form-focused approach to suicide prevention. This new platform will provide volunteers with a quicker access to records, assess feelings, emotional needs of callers, provide empathetic listening and explore options to help them deal with their suicidal thoughts. We look forward to continuing our work with them to help save lives."

This digital Intelligence platform will store and monitor anonymized confidential electronic records of the meetings or conversations with callers who are overwhelmed by their problem, confused and may be suicidal. The application is created to flag suicide risks and when the algorithm spots complex or worrying patterns, it allows the volunteers to review, discuss serious cases of 'Suicide or self-inflicting injuries' with clinicians, medical professionals and devise a case management plan. The goal of Befrienders is the prevention of suicide by providing emotional support through trained qualified volunteers and to establish a trusted avenue for individuals experiencing personal calamity to reach out, all conversations will be maintained with strict confidence.

Commenting on this significant launch, Dr. Florance Sinniah, Chairman Befrienders Penang, Vice President Befrienders Malaysia, said, "On behalf of Befriender Penang & Malaysia, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to UST Global Malaysia for enabling us to take advantage of technology effectively and efficiently which will lead a strategic, focused, solution-based approach towards suicide prevention. UST Global's generous support in developing the digital platform for Befrienders Malaysia has given us an intelligent way to compile our data nationwide, identify threat flags, formulate case management plans at the same time influence the relevant agencies to develop national strategies on suicide prevention."

In the future release, the application would offer the possibility to identify suicide-prone people more accurately, creating opportunities to intervene long before thoughts turn to action. The platform can provide physiological metrics from wearables and the timing and volume of a person's calls and texts which will help to build into predictive models and provide tailored help. Using Sentiment Analysis machine algorithm techniques, the tool provides mental health data just by mining text provided during the conversation. Machine Learning algorithms also perform text mining simultaneously when the conversation happens. This tool can be called as a companion that could signal depression and other mood changes. Together with Befrienders, UST Global is providing focused help in Malaysia through this digital transformation.

About UST Global 

UST Global® is a fast-growing digital technology company that provides advanced computing and digital services to large private and public enterprises around the world. Driven by a larger purpose of Transforming Lives and the philosophy of 'fewer clients, more attention', we bring in the entrepreneurial spirit that seeks the fastest path to value in today's digital economy. Our innovative technology services and pioneering social programs make us stand apart. UST Global is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California and operates in 21 countries. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies in Banking and Financial Services, Healthcare, Insurance, Retail, High Technology, Manufacturing, Shipping, and Telecom. UST Global believes in building long-lasting, strategic business relationships through agile and client-centric global engagement models that combines local experts & resources with cost, scale, and quality advantages of global operations.

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