NCT03081078

Effects of Community-based Caring Contact on Post-discharge Young Adults With Self-harm

Effects of Community-based Caring Contact on Post-discharge Young Adults With Self-harm - a Multi-center Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 108 (estimated)
• Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 45 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The study will determine whether community-based caring contact via a mobile app connection with or without volunteer support in addition to treatment as usual (psychiatric and psychosocial treatments) has an effect on suicidal ideation and treatment compliance among post-discharge self-harm young adults.

Detailed description

The proposed study will determine whether community-based caring contact via a mobile app connection with or without volunteer support in addition to treatment as usual (TAU; psychiatric and psychosocial treatments) is effective in reducing suicidal ideation, enhancing treatment compliance, reducing thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness and hopelessness among post-discharge self-harm young adults, and if personalized contact by volunteers has additional effects reducing suicidal ideation among post-discharge self-harm individuals. 108 participants aged 18-45 with an index self-harm episode will be recruited from the Accident \& Emergency Department (AED) of 4 local public hospitals, and randomized into the TAU, mobile app group with, and without volunteer support. Each participant will complete a questionnaire at the 4 measurement time points at baseline (T0), one-month (T1) and the end of the 2-month intervention period (T2), and post-intervention at the three-month point (T3) from the baseline. The primary outcomes include Suicidal ideation, hopelessness, thwarted belongingness \& perceived burdensomeness, treatment (TAU) compliance, and suicidality.

Conditions

• Self Inflicted Injury
• Suicide and Self Inflicted Injury

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Volunteer support	Each participant will be matched with a pair of trained volunteers (under pre-determined safety measures), who will initiate caring contact via telephone or text messages at least twice a month for two months. Participants will be free to respond or not.
OTHER	Mobile app	Participants will receive programmed care messages and reminders of community resources and healthcare contacts on a regular basis. The app will also provide simple self-help mood checking and relaxation exercises.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-06-01
• Primary completion: 2021-03-30
• Completion: 2021-06-30
• First posted: 2017-03-15
• Last updated: 2020-10-19

Locations

4 sites across 1 country: Hong Kong