Development and Testing of ImHere4U: a Digital Suicide Prevention Intervention for Cyberbullied Adolescents

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH · Aug 15, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new digital program called Flourish, which aims to help teenagers who have been bullied online and may be feeling very sad or having thoughts of suicide. The researchers want to see if using Flourish, along with some questionnaires, is more helpful than just answering the questionnaires alone. They will be working with about 80 teenagers aged 12 to 17, especially focusing on those from underserved backgrounds. Participants will be asked to engage with the program over six months and share their experiences to see if it helps them feel better and cope with their feelings.

To be eligible for this study, participants need to be English-speaking, have access to a phone or device for texting, and must have experienced cyberbullying and some level of psychological distress or suicidal thoughts in the past three months. The researchers will keep track of how many people join and stay in the study, as well as how much they engage with the Flourish program. Participants can expect to receive support through this digital program, and they may also have the option to share their social media experiences for additional feedback. This trial is currently recruiting participants, so if you or someone you know fits the criteria, it might be a good opportunity to get help.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • English-speaking
• • access to a phone or device capable of text messaging
• • past 3-month history of cyberbullying assessed by the cybervictimization subscale of the Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization and Perpetration Scale and/or presence of online discrimination measured by a modified version of a discrimination measured developed as part of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study
• • past 3-month history of suicidal risk, including: psychological distress (\>13 on the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale) and/or suicidal ideation or behavior (via the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • intellectual challenges, low literacy levels, or other conditions that might inhibit adolescents' ability to effectively engage with Flourish (reported by parents and, if needed, confirmed through the age-appropriate Wechsler Intelligence scale)
• • acuity levels suggesting need for a higher level of care (e.g., inpatient hospitalization) or referral for emergency services