Developing a Digital Intervention for Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-injury

Conditions

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Nonsuicidal Self-injury

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

14 Years - 18 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• App-based digital mental health intervention for adolescent NSSI — DEVICE
  The digital intervention for NSSI is an app-based intervention consisting of 16 modules (8 focused on internal skills and 8 focused on external sources of support) to be delivered twice weekly for 8 weeks. Modules containing psychoeducation and skill-based practice, and brief assessments. All content is delivered by a highly interactive conversational agent that guides users through the app content via a text-like interface. Psychoeducational content and strategies center on cognitive behavioral principles and support increased knowledge of external sources of support. Brief assessments examine NSSI and use of skills.
• App-based delivery of healthy living psychoeducational materials — DEVICE
  The control intervention is an app-based adolescent healthy living intervention consisting of 16 modules containing psychoeducation (e.g., sleep hygiene, water intake, exercise). Modifications will be made to an existing intervention used as a control in prior studies, 1,2 to mitigate potential contraindication for participants with eating disorder comorbidity by replacing nutrition with sun exposure content and an expansion of module content on sleep hygiene and exercise. Like the treatment app, all content in the control app is delivered by a highly interactive conversational agent that guides users through the app content via a text-like interface. Psychoeducational content and psychological strategies delivered center on stress management and healthy living.

Study Details

This is a feasibility trial of a digital mental health intervention aimed at adolescents (ages 14-18) with nonsuicidal self-injury and who are not currently engaged in mental health treatment. The study has two arms: a self-guided DMHI and an active control which will involve the delivery of non-interactive psychoeducational content via the same app interface. The primary goals of this project are to evaluate the feasibility of the intervention and trial procedures in preparation for a fully-powered randomized-controlled trial.

Key Dates

Start date

Jun 4, 2026

Status verified

Jun 2026

Primary completion

May 31, 2027

Completion

Jul 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment

80 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

FACTORIAL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Experimental: Self-guided digital intervention for NSSI
  This is the experimental condition
• Active Comparator: Self-guided delivery of healthy living psychoeducational materials
  This is the comparison condition

Primary Outcome Measure

Actual help-seeking questionnaire (AHSQ) [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]

Central Contacts

• Kaylee Kruzan, PhD, LCSW
  312-503-3114
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Chicago, IL

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