NCT07224165

Developing a Digital Intervention for Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-injury

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Northwestern University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 14 Years – 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

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

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

• Nonsuicidal Self-injury
• Depression
• Anxiety

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	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.
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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-01
• Primary completion: 2027-02-28
• Completion: 2027-04-30
• First posted: 2025-11-04
• Last updated: 2025-11-06