Preliminary Trial of an Avatar Guided Digital Intervention for Emerging Adults

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a novel digital avatar (virtual coach) support program can help emerging adults ages 18-29 who present to the emergency department with suicidal thoughts and alcohol misuse (EA-Avatar). The study also aims to learn whether people find the program easy to use and whether daily surveys and the study design are able to be completed by the majority of emerging adult participants.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

* Do participants use the digital program and find it helpful?
* Is it possible for participants to complete daily surveys for twenty-eight days and follow-up surveys over twelve weeks?
* Are there early signs that the program may help lower alcohol use and suicidal thoughts?

Researchers will compare participants who receive the new digital avatar program plus supportive text messages to participants who receive a freely available suicide safety planning app to see if there are differences in use, engagement, and early signs of benefit.

Participants will:

* Receive standard care from the emergency department
* Be randomly put into one of two groups (EA-Avatar or a free suicide prevention app)
* Depending on their group, use a new avatar-guided digital support program with text message reminders OR use a free suicide safety planning app
* Complete surveys at the start of the study and again at four, eight, and twelve weeks
* Complete short daily surveys for twenty-eight days

Conditions

• Binge Alcohol Consumption
• Suicidal Ideation

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

EA-Avatar

The avatar-guided digital intervention includes monitoring of alcohol use and triggers of suicidal thoughts, skills to manage alcohol use and suicidal thoughts, resources on how to access outpatient care and crisis hotlines for suicidal thoughts, and achievements for milestones. In addition, text messages with inspirational quotes and reminders to access the avatar platform are used to support engagement and foster hope. They are also given any emergency department care and/or follow-up and referral services they would otherwise receive and can continue any other behavioral health care.

BEHAVIORAL

Suicide safety planning app

A publicly available suicide safety planning app which includes guidance on creating a Stanley-Brown Safety Plan, including warning signs, things users can do on their own when feeling suicidal, people who can distract them, people who can support them, professionals or organizations who can support them, and reasons for living.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Massachusetts, Worcester

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Lourah M Kelly, PhD · UMass Chan Medical School, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

29 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-05-18

Primary Completion

2026-08-31

Completion

2026-08-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations