Developing a Digital Intervention for Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-injury

NCT ID: NCT07224165

Last Updated: 2025-11-06

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-01

Study Completion Date

2027-04-30

Brief Summary

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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.

Detailed Description

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The primary purpose of this trial is to test the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an 8-week digital mental health intervention (DMHI) for non-treatment engaged adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury. The DMHI will include a highly interactive conversational agent that conveys psychoeducational content and guides participants through skill-based activities. The study team will conduct a 2-arm feasibility trial, randomizing participants to receive either DMHI (weeks 1-8) or an active psychoeducational control (weeks 1-8). Participants will be 1:1 randomized to arms in varying block sizes of 4 and 6. To prevent allocation bias, randomization will be conducted by the biostatistician, who will not inform the study team of the treatment arms until the baseline assessment has been completed and the participant has been enrolled.

The primary clinical outcome measures will be frequency and severity of NSSI behavior (ABASI) and help-seeking activities (AHSQ). Implementation potential outcomes include intervention acceptability (IAM) and appropriateness (AIM).

This study will enroll individuals who have meet the following eligibility criteria: 1) Current NSSI, defined as NSSI on 2 or more days in the past month, as assessed by the Alexian Brothers Assessment of Self-Injury (ABASI). 2) English language skills sufficient to engage in the consent and intervention procedures. 3) Age 14 to 18. 4) Access to smartphone.

Exclusion criteria include: 1) Severe mental health diagnoses for which this intervention would be inappropriate (e.g., psychotic disorders, active manic episodes), 2) Severe suicide risk, including suicidal ideation with a plan and intent to act or history of suicide attempt in the past 3 months; or 3) Current engagement in psychotherapy (at baseline and for the trial recruitment only). Participants will be permitted to seek treatment at any point once enrolled in the study.

Conditions

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Nonsuicidal Self-injury Depression Anxiety

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Self-guided digital intervention for NSSI

This is the experimental condition

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

App-based digital mental health intervention for adolescent NSSI

Intervention Type 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.

Self-guided delivery of healthy living psychoeducational materials

This is the comparison condition

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

App-based delivery of healthy living psychoeducational materials

Intervention Type 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.

Interventions

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App-based digital mental health intervention for adolescent NSSI

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.

Intervention Type DEVICE

App-based delivery of healthy living psychoeducational materials

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.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Current NSSI (NSSI on 2 or more days in the last month
* English language skills sufficient to engage in the consent and intervention procedures
* Age 14-18
* Access to smartphone

Exclusion Criteria

* Severe mental health diagnoses for which this intervention would be inappropriate (psychotic disorders, active manic episodes)
* Severe suicide risk, including suicidal ideation with a plan and intent to act
* Current engagement in psychotherapy
Minimum Eligible Age

14 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Northwestern University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Kaylee Kruzan

Research Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

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Kaylee Kruzan, PhD, LCSW

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 312-503-3114

Email: [email protected]

Other Identifiers

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K01MH131898

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

STU00219136

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id