Stratified Care Intervention for Suicidal Ideation, Depression, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents (Reframe-IT+ & CARIBOU)

Summary

The aim of this study is to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity of implementing a stratified care intervention for adolescents with suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms, and to preliminarily explore its effectiveness in reducing suicidal ideation and depression in educational institutions with high socioeconomic vulnerability in the Metropolitan Region.

Specific Objectives

1. To determine the feasibility of implementing a stratified care plan tailored to the needs of adolescents with suicidal ideation.
2. To determine the fidelity of the implementation of Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT, with the addition of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component, among participating facilitators following the intervention.
3. To determine the acceptability of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component among participating students and facilitators, as measured after the intervention.
4. To explore the efficacy of Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT, with the addition of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component, in reducing suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, anxiety, hopelessness, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) immediately following the intervention, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention.
5. To explore the efficacy of Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT, with the addition of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component, in improving general functioning, quality of life, cognitive-behavioral skills related to behavioral activation, emotional regulation, and problem-solving immediately after the intervention, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention.

Participants will:

1. Complete a battery of self-report questionnaires before the intervention, immediately after, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of follow-up.
2. Receive CARIBOU-SITB, a four-session intervention focused on safety planning and reducing the risk of self-harm.
3. Then receive either Reframe-IT+ (13 sessions) or CARIBOU-CBT (16 sessions), individual cognitive-behavioral interventions delivered at their school by a trained psychologist, depending on the severity of their depressive symptoms.

Hypotheses or research assumptions

This study proposes the following hypotheses regarding the feasibility of the study using Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT with the addition of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component (H1), the fidelity of the intervention (H2), the acceptability of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component (H3)and the expected effects of the intervention (H4 and H5):

H1: We will be able to recruit 21 educational institutions, screen 70% of the students who consent to participate in this project, and ensure the participation of 100 students, all of whom will be offered CARIBOU-SITB and then, based on depressive symptoms, will be assigned to Reframe-IT+ (47 students) or CARIBOU-CBT (53 students).

H2: Facilitators of the Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT programs, incorporating the initial CARIBOU-SITB component, will demonstrate 80% adherence to the manual-as a measure of fidelity-based on self-reports regarding the implementation of each session.

H3: After adapting the material for the initial CARIBOU-SITB component to Chilean culture, a high level of acceptability (over 70% positive ratings) is expected from participating students and facilitators following the intervention.

H4: Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT, with the addition of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component, will reduce suicidal ideation, depressive and anxiety symptoms, hopelessness, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among participating students at the end of the intervention and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention.

H5: Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT, with the addition of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component, will improve overall functioning, quality of life, cognitive-behavioral skills, behavioral activation, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills in participating students at the end of the intervention and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention.

Conditions

• Depression in Adolescence
• Suicidal Ideation
• Non Suicidal Self Injury

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Reframe-IT and CARIBOU

All participants first will receive the CARIBOU-SITB component (4 weekly sessions, 45 minutes each). Then students with severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score ≥ 20) will receive CARIBOU-CBT: a cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention consisting of 16 weekly sessions of 45 minutes each, targeting behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving, and communication skills. Students with mild or moderate depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score \< 20) will receive Reframe-IT+: a cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention consisting of 13 weekly sessions of 45 minutes each (5 in-person and 8 combining in-person and digital delivery), targeting behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation, stress tolerance, and problem-solving. All interventions will be delivered individually at the educational institution by a trained psychologist.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fundación Crecer y Sanar

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Universidad de los Andes, Chile

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jorge Gaete, PhD · Centro de Investigación de Salud Mental Estudiantil (ISME)

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

14 Years

Max Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-06-09

Primary Completion

2027-11-30

Completion

2027-12-31

Countries

• Chile

Study Locations