Safety Planning App for Suicidal Thoughts in Youth

(ISSP Trial)

Overseen By Laura Richardson, MD, MPH

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Washington

Disqualifiers: Non-English speaking, No phone access, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

100 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests an app designed to help teens and young adults manage suicidal thoughts more safely. The app creates a safety plan and offers videos to enhance communication and coping skills. Researchers aim to determine if the app, called Integrated Suicide Supports for Youth, can boost confidence in young people, their parents, and healthcare providers when dealing with suicidal thoughts. The trial compares regular care with care that includes the app. Teens and young adults aged 13-21 who have suicidal thoughts but no immediate plan for self-harm and can access the internet may be suitable candidates for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative mental health solutions for youth.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems to focus on using an app alongside usual care, so you may not need to change your current medication routine.

What prior data suggests that this app is safe for youth?

Research has shown that mobile apps designed to prevent suicide are generally well-received and safe for users. Apps like Virtual Hope Box and Suicide Safe have received positive reviews from experts and may assist individuals with suicidal thoughts. These apps focus on providing coping strategies and safety planning, which can help users manage their feelings.

The trial is studying an app called Integrated Suicide Supports for Youth, designed to assist teens and young adults. It combines safety planning with skills training and collaborates with healthcare providers. This approach aims to improve how young people handle suicidal thoughts and enhance the effectiveness of caregivers and providers in prevention.

While this specific app is still under study, similar apps have shown promise without major safety concerns. This suggests that the app is likely to be well-tolerated, though the study will provide more detailed results. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Integrated Suicide Supports for Youth because it combines a digital approach with personalized safety planning. Unlike traditional therapies that may rely heavily on face-to-face sessions, this treatment uses the Jaspr app, which allows young people to access support both in the clinic and at home. This app-based intervention offers interactive skills and safety planning, providing immediate and flexible support tailored to each user's needs. This innovative use of technology aims to make it easier for youth to manage suicidal thoughts by offering help at their fingertips anytime, potentially filling gaps in current care.

What evidence suggests that this app is effective for increasing youth suicide-related coping?

Research has shown that apps can effectively help prevent suicide in young people. A review of studies found that tools like safety planning apps can reduce suicidal thoughts and improve coping skills. In this trial, participants will either use the Integrated Skills and Safety Planning app, which includes the Jaspr app for clinic and home use, or receive usual care. These apps often feature personalized safety plans and helpful videos, empowering young people and their caregivers. While more high-quality research is needed, early results suggest these tools can increase confidence in managing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Overall, combining digital tools with traditional care offers promising support for young people dealing with suicidal thoughts. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Laura Richardson, MD, MPH

Principal Investigator

University of Washington

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for teens and young adults experiencing suicidal thoughts. Participants will include the adolescents themselves, their caregivers, and healthcare providers. To join, they must be willing to use an app designed to help manage suicidality and complete three online surveys.

Inclusion Criteria

Ask Suicide Questions (ASQ) screen score of 1-4 with no current plan or intent (Item 5 negative and as assessed by their clinical providers)

I am between 13 and 21 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

Already has a suicide safety plan that is being overseen by a mental health specialist

Previously recruited to other affiliated Suicide Care Research Center study

No phone access

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Control Period

Participants receive usual care without the app during the control period

1 month

Baseline assessment

Intervention Period

Participants use the Jaspr app in addition to usual care

1 month

1-month and 2-month follow-up assessments

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the intervention

2 months

2-month follow-up assessment

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Integrated Suicide Supports for Youth

Trial Overview The study tests whether a specially designed app that includes safety planning and supportive communication videos can improve coping skills in youth with suicidal ideation. It compares usual care alone versus usual care plus the app.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Integrated skills and safety planning app Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Use of Jaspr app in clinic + at home

Group II: Usual Care Active Control 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Washington

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,858

Recruited

2,023,000+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Seattle Children's Hospital

Collaborator

Trials

319

Recruited

5,232,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Qualitative interviews with clinicians, parents, and adolescents highlighted the importance of transition of care, specific treatment targets, and safety planning in preventing suicide reattempts among youth.

Participants unanimously supported the development of a smartphone application to aid in creating safety plans and improving treatment engagement for adolescents at risk of suicide.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Developing a Brief Suicide Prevention Intervention and Mobile Phone Application: a Qualitative Report. Kennard, BD., Biernesser, C., Wolfe, KL., et al.[2022]

The pilot phase of the SmartCrisis 2.0 trial demonstrated that a smartphone-based safety plan for patients with recent suicidal behavior is feasible and well-accepted, with a participation rate of 77% and high satisfaction ratings (overall satisfaction score of 9.6 out of 10).

Patients found the safety plan useful (7.4/10) and easy to use (8.9/10), with common coping strategies including walking and exercise, indicating that the app could be a valuable tool in clinical practice for supporting mental health.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Smartphone-based safety plan for suicidal crisis: The SmartCrisis 2.0 pilot study. Porras-Segovia, A., De Granda-Beltrán, AM., Gallardo, C., et al.[2023]

The pilot study involving 66 adolescents showed that the ASAP intervention, which includes a smartphone app for emotion regulation, did not significantly reduce suicide attempts post-discharge, but indicated a trend towards fewer attempts (16% vs. 31%).

Participants with a history of previous suicide attempts may benefit more from the ASAP intervention, suggesting that this program could be tailored for those at higher risk, and overall, the intervention and app were well-received by users.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

As Safe as Possible (ASAP): A Brief App-Supported Inpatient Intervention to Prevent Postdischarge Suicidal Behavior in Hospitalized, Suicidal Adolescents. Kennard, BD., Goldstein, T., Foxwell, AA., et al.[2023]

The research aims to implement the Hope app in the psychiatric emergency department at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to enhance suicide safety planning, involving ED clinicians and service users in the process to ensure effective integration into clinical workflows.

By using a co-design approach, the study will identify barriers and facilitators to implementation, ultimately developing strategies that support clinicians in adopting the app, which is crucial for improving suicide prevention efforts in emergency settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Designing Implementation Strategies for a Digital Suicide Safety Planning Intervention in a Psychiatric Emergency Department: Protocol for a Multimethod Research Project. Shin, HD., Zaheer, J., Torous, J., et al.[2023]

MYPLAN is a mobile application developed to help individuals at risk of suicide create personalized safety plans, making it more accessible than traditional paper versions.

Since its launch in 2013, MYPLAN has been positively received, with nearly 8,000 downloads in Denmark and Norway, indicating its potential utility in supporting at-risk individuals, especially among younger populations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

MYPLAN - A Mobile Phone Application for Supporting People at Risk of Suicide. Skovgaard Larsen, JL., Frandsen, H., Erlangsen, A.[2022]

The SafePlan mobile app is being evaluated for its feasibility and acceptability among young people (ages 16-35) experiencing suicidal thoughts, with 80 participants set to be randomized to either the app plus usual treatment or a paper-based safety plan plus usual treatment.

The study aims to assess not only the app's usability but also its potential impact on reducing suicidal ideation over an 8-week period, with follow-up assessments at 6 months, which could inform future research and policy on integrating digital safety planning tools in mental health services.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using a Safety Planning Mobile App to Address Suicidality in Young People Attending Community Mental Health Services in Ireland: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Melia, R., Francis, K., Duggan, J., et al.[2023]

A self-administered, Web-based safety planning application was developed and tested with 30 suicidal patients, showing strong usability ratings and enabling 90% of participants to complete at least 5 out of 6 safety planning steps.

Participants reported a significant decrease in suicidal ideation intensity after using the application, with pre-application scores averaging 5.11 and post-application scores averaging 4.46, indicating the potential effectiveness of this tool in enhancing coping abilities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Computer Administered Safety Planning for Individuals at Risk for Suicide: Development and Usability Testing. Boudreaux, ED., Brown, GK., Stanley, B., et al.[2023]

The LifeBuoy app, designed based on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), is being tested in a randomized controlled trial with 378 young adults aged 18 to 25 to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing suicidal thoughts and improving mental well-being.

This study is significant as it is the first to assess a DBT-informed smartphone app for suicide prevention in young adults, incorporating safety measures like clinical psychologist support for participants at risk.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Mobile Health Intervention (LifeBuoy App) to Help Young People Manage Suicidal Thoughts: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Randomized Controlled Trial. Han, J., McGillivray, L., Wong, QJ., et al.[2020]

The study evaluated the feasibility of two mental health apps, BackUp and mEMA, for treating depressed outpatients with suicidal ideation, involving 17 participants over a 3-month period.

Both apps were found to be usable and acceptable, scoring above the thresholds for usability and satisfaction, but the study did not meet the criteria for sufficient uptake, indicating that further exploration is needed for integrating these apps into routine mental healthcare.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The feasibility of using smartphone apps as treatment components for depressed suicidal outpatients. Nuij, C., van Ballegooijen, W., de Beurs, D., et al.[2023]

The study involving 20 adolescents discharged from a mental health ward showed that the smartphone apps BeyondNow and BlueIce were feasible and acceptable, with most participants accessing them at least once during the six-week follow-up.

While many participants found the apps easy to use, a significant portion (47%) felt they would not ensure safety during a crisis; however, improvements in suicide resilience were noted, indicating potential benefits in managing self-harm and suicidal behaviors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The feasibility of using smartphone apps to manage self-harm and suicidal acts in adolescents admitted to an inpatient mental health ward. Muscara, F., Ng, O., Crossley, L., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. in.gov in.gov/issp/

ISSP: Indiana Suicide Prevention If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide and seeking emotional support, there are crisis lines available via phone, chat, or text.

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6537558/

What Works in Youth Suicide Prevention? A Systematic ... We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all studies examining the impact of interventions that were specifically designed to reduce suicide- ...

3. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06701006

Integrated Suicide Supports and Safety Planning for Youth Study Overview. Brief Summary. The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate an app to help keep teens and young adults with suicidal ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190740920322489

A meta-analysis of suicide prevention programs for school ... Small effect found for suicide behavior, psychological wellness, and psychological distress outcomes. •. Need for additional high quality research on the ...

5. link.springer.com link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11920-025-01620-w

Suicide Prevention in Youth | Current Psychiatry Reports This review presents new research pertinent to youth suicide prevention with a focus on suicide risk screening; therapeutic interventions, ...

6. floridahealth.gov floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/prevention/suicide-prevention/index.html

Suicide Prevention | Florida Department of Health If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or reach out through chat by visiting 988lifeline.org/chat.

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12378765/

Suicide Prevention in Youth - PMC This review presents new research pertinent to youth suicide prevention with a focus on suicide risk screening; therapeutic interventions, ...

8. apaservices.org apaservices.org/practice/business/technology/tech-column/mobile-apps-suicide-prevention

Mobile apps designed to help prevent suicide - APA Services Our panel of psychologists share their ratings and reviews of apps to help patients who are experiencing suicidal ideation: Virtual Hope Box, Suicide Safe, and ...

9. trialx.com trialx.com/clinical-trials/listings/309746/integrated-suicide-supports-and-safety-planning-for-youth/

Integrated Suicide Supports and Safety Planning for Youth The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate an app to help keep teens and young adults with suicidal thoughts safe. The app includes a safety ...