Adapted Visual Safety Plan for Autistic Youth (VSP-AY) to Address Self-harm, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Behaviors

Summary

This pilot randomized controlled trial will recruit 90 autistic adolescents aged 13-18 years with recent suicidal thoughts or behaviors from Geha Mental Health Center in Israel. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either (1) the intervention group receiving the Visual Safety Plan for Autistic Youth (VSP-AY) plus standard care, or (2) the control group receiving treatment as usual without VSP-AY. Mental health professionals delivering VSP-AY will complete a 6-hour training with ongoing supervision throughout the study. Outcomes will be assessed at three timepoints: baseline (T0), immediately post-intervention (T1), and one-month follow-up (T2). The study will evaluate feasibility through recruitment and completion rates, acceptability through satisfaction questionnaires and qualitative interviews, and preliminary effectiveness through standardized measures of suicidal ideation (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale), non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI-AT), and depression (Children's Depression Inventory).

Conditions

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Suicidal Ideation
• Suicidal Behavior
• Self-Injurious Behavior
• Depression

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Adapted Visual Safety Plan for Autistic Youth (VSP-AY) to Address Self-harm, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Behaviors

The Visual Safety Plan for Autistic Youth (VSP-AY) is an autism-adapted suicide prevention tool delivered as a visual card-based system with supporting materials. The intervention includes two main sections: intrapersonal strategies (recognizing warning signs, internal coping skills) and interpersonal strategies (social contacts, professional resources, means safety). VSP-AY uses visual cards with color-coding to guide the safety planning process. Participants choose where to begin, accommodating individual preferences and processing styles. Each component offers multiple phrasing options and includes concrete examples drawn from autistic individuals with lived experience, making content accessible and relevant. Supporting materials include: writing sheets where participants document their personalized strategies; communication cards for different settings (home, school, community) with explicit guidance on what to do and what not to do during suicidal crisis moments; visual supports

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Geha Mental Health Center

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Haifa

  collaborator OTHER

• Tel Aviv University

  collaborator OTHER

• Reichman University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Nottingham

  collaborator OTHER

• La Trobe University

  collaborator OTHER

• Deakin University

  collaborator OTHER

• Bournemouth University

  collaborator OTHER

• College of Management Academic Studies

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

13 Years

Max Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-07-30

Primary Completion

2029-07-30

Completion

2029-07-30

Countries

• Israel

Study Locations