NCT07211373

Advancing Student Suicide Interventions With Scalable Technologies

Advancing Student Suicide Interventions With Scalable Technologies (ASSIST)

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Massachusetts, Amherst · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Mobile-based applications, such as JasprHealth, can deliver evidence-based skills intended to reduce imminent suicide risk (e.g., reducing means access), improve emotional states (e.g., via distraction and coaching to act opposite to emotions), and reduce feelings of social isolation (e.g., via shared stories), but user engagement is a barrier. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a technological application resource (Jaspr) relative to human augmentation (Jaspr+, e.g., motivationally focused orientation plus prompts) on acceptability, preliminary effectiveness, and engagement among college students who screen positive for suicide risk.

Detailed description

Mobile-based applications, such as Jaspr Health, can deliver evidence-based skills intended to reduce imminent suicide risk (e.g., reducing means access), improve emotional states (e.g., via distraction and coaching to act opposite to emotions), and reduce feelings of social isolation (e.g., via shared stories). Although mobile-device-delivered interventions hold the potential to make interventions widely accessible, user engagement presents a substantial barrier to efficacy. This study, ASSIST: Advancing Student Suicide Interventions with Scalable Technologies, aims to improve engagement with mobile-delivered suicide prevention applications, with the ultimate goal of reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors in college students. Including human elements alongside Jaspr Health has the potential to improve the uptake of this evidence-based, accessible mobile-device-delivered intervention. The aim of this study was is to examine the effects of the technological application resource Jaspr tablet application with access to Jaspr at Home (JAH) vs. Jaspr+ human augmentation (e.g., motivationally focused orientation plus prompts) on acceptability, preliminary effectiveness, and engagement among 50 college students who screen positive for suicide risk (n=25 per condition) over the course of 2 months. Candidate mechanisms (e.g., coping skills, self-stigma) will also be assessed. Participants were randomized via the Redcap randomization module, stratified by site.

Conditions

• Suicidal Ideation
• Suicide Attempt
• Self-Harm

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Jaspr	With assistance from a research staff, the subject will complete self-administered suicide risk assessment on the tablet via Jaspr app, then the subject will engage with suicide-related coping skills and resources that the app provides. Subjects will continue to have access to the coping skills and videos via a mobile app.
BEHAVIORAL	Behavioral support	Jaspr conversations will be augmented human-driven behavioral support. Conversations will be guided by motivational interviewing principles. Subjects can sign up to receive JAH mobile app. Subjects will be prompted with their personalized goals as reminders to use the Jaspr app.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-10-08
• Primary completion: 2027-06-30
• Completion: 2027-06-30
• First posted: 2025-10-08
• Last updated: 2025-10-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study