Social Media Intervention for Online Victimized Youth

Summary

This feasibility pilot trial seeks to examine the feasibility and target engagement of a coping skills and psychoeducational intervention delivered via an automated conversational chatbot named SMILEY in reducing frequency and stress associated with online victimization among marginalized youth, including those who are Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+, and experiencing depression and online victimization.

The primary inquiry of this study is whether SMILEY can enhance the safety and decrease stress levels in online environments for marginalized youth coping with depression and online victimization.

Participants will engage with materials, including interactive web resources, to learn safe social media practices and provide coping skills for experiencing online victimization. These materials will cover topics such as managing online time, addressing negative comments, and fostering positive connections.

Participants will interact with SMILEY at their own pace over 4 weeks. This interaction will provide information and guidance on dealing with online victimization and the associated stress.

Conditions

• Depression
• Suicidal Ideation

Interventions

OTHER

Chatbot Intervention

Participants screened for suicidality during the ETUDES Center Primary Care Study and who disclose experiencing online victimization will be onboarded by a research clinician on how to use SMILEY, the web-based intervention that delivers psychoeducation, basic concepts of social media self-efficiency, and guidance on how to respond to and cope with online victimization. The chatbot and/or research clinician will send out periodic reminders to users to remind them to engage with the chatbot over four weeks. Technical troubleshooting concerns will be carried out by research clinician and chatbot developer team.

OTHER

Brief Psychoeducation

When youth onboard the study, a research clinician will deliver psychoeducation for youth and caregivers supported by web-based resources. Content will introduce basic concepts of social media self-efficacy (screen time guidance, technological coping skills, and encouragement of positive online interactions) and guidance on how to respond to and cope with online victimization.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Oregon

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Pittsburgh

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• César G Escobar-Viera, MD, PhD · University of Pittsburgh

• Candice Biernesser, PhD · University of Pittsburgh

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

12 Years

Max Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-05-06

Primary Completion

2026-02-28

Completion

2027-07-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations