Just-in-time Interventions for Reducing Short-term Suicide Risk

Summary

The goal of this study is to test the effects of just-in-time intervention strategies aimed to promote implementation of the safety plan and its components at different levels of suicidal urges and intent. The main questions the investigators aim to answer are:

1. What is the acceptability and feasibility of the just-in-time intervention strategies?
2. What are the proximal effects of just-in-time intervention strategies aimed to promote use of the safety plan and its components?
3. What internal and external contextual factors moderate the just-in-time intervention effects?

Participants (adults hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or behaviors) will:

* Answer questions about current suicidal thoughts on their smartphone up to 4 times each day during both hospitalization and the 4 weeks after they leave the hospital
* Each time they submit a survey, be immediately randomized to receive (or not receive) a just-in-time intervention tailored to their level of current suicidal thoughts
* Answer brief follow-up questions on their smartphone within a couple hours of each randomization
* Provide feedback on their experience with the just-in-time interventions

Conditions

• Suicide

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Phone call

A phone call from a trained study clinician that uses a standardized phone script to (a) conduct a risk assessment and (b) recommend that the participant use their safety plan (any and all included components), which will be reviewed and revised as-needed during the call. This intervention occurs at High Risk only.

BEHAVIORAL

Text messaging

A text message conversation initiated by a trained study clinician that uses a standardized text messaging script to (a) conduct a risk assessment and (b) recommend that the participant use their safety plan (any and all included components), which will be reviewed and revised as-needed during the text messaging interaction. This intervention occurs at High Risk only.

BEHAVIORAL

Automated interactive smartphone-based tool

An automated interactive, smartphone-based tool that will (a) (at High Risk only) guide the participant through a risk assessment and (b) (at High and Medium/Low Risk) present recommendation to use and a review of the safety plan.

BEHAVIORAL

Non-interactive pop-up messages

Automated non-interactive, static pop-up messages that recommend use of the safety plan or its components (Medium/Low Risk only).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Michigan

  collaborator OTHER

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• Massachusetts General Hospital

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-11-19

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2026-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations