Adapted Visual Safety Plan for Autistic Youth (VSP-AY) to Address Self-harm, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Behaviors

Sponsor
College of Management Academic Studies
Study ID
NCT07333014
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
13 Years - 18 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Adapted Visual Safety Plan for Autistic Youth (VSP-AY) to Address Self-harm, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Behaviors — BEHAVIORAL
    The Visual Safety Plan for Autistic Youth (VSP-AY) is an autism-adapted suicide prevention tool delivered as a visual card-based system with supporting materials. The intervention includes two main sections: intrapersonal strategies (recognizing warning signs, internal coping skills) and interpersonal strategies (social contacts, professional resources, means safety). VSP-AY uses visual cards with color-coding to guide the safety planning process. Participants choose where to begin, accommodating individual preferences and processing styles. Each component offers multiple phrasing options and includes concrete examples drawn from autistic individuals with lived experience, making content accessible and relevant. Supporting materials include: writing sheets where participants document their personalized strategies; communication cards for different settings (home, school, community) with explicit guidance on what to do and what not to do during suicidal crisis moments; visual supports

Study Details

This pilot randomized controlled trial will recruit 90 autistic adolescents aged 13-18 years with recent suicidal thoughts or behaviors from Geha Mental Health Center in Israel. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either (1) the intervention group receiving the Visual Safety Plan for Autistic Youth (VSP-AY) plus standard care, or (2) the control group receiving treatment as usual without VSP-AY. Mental health professionals delivering VSP-AY will complete a 6-hour training with ongoing supervision throughout the study. Outcomes will be assessed at three timepoints: baseline (T0), immediately post-intervention (T1), and one-month follow-up (T2). The study will evaluate feasibility through recruitment and completion rates, acceptability through satisfaction questionnaires and qualitative interviews, and preliminary effectiveness through standardized measures of suicidal ideation (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale), non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI-AT), and depression (Children's Depression Inventory).

Key Dates

First listed
Jan 12, 2026
Start date
Jul 30, 2026
Status verified
Dec 2025
Primary completion
Jul 30, 2029
Completion
Jul 30, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment
90 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER

Arms

  • Experimental: An Interventional study VSP-AY
    Participants receive the Visual Safety Plan for Autistic Youth (VSP-AY) intervention in addition to treatment as usual. VSP-AY is an autism-adapted safety planning tool incorporating linguistic modifications (concrete language, explicit examples), visual supports (color-coding, progressive revelation), and developmental appropriateness for adolescents.
  • No Intervention: No Intervention: Treatment as Usual
    Participants receive standard mental health care at Geha Mental Health Center without the VSP-AY intervention.

Primary Outcome Measure

Feasibility as Measured by Recruitment, Completion, and Dropout Rates [ Time Frame: Through study completion, approximately 12 months ]

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