About this trial
The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn if Caring Contacts (brief, hopeful, supportive text messages) can be delivered to adolescents with suicidal thoughts or behaviors after discharge from the emergency department, and to understand if adolescents find it acceptable to receive Caring Contacts. Researchers will also begin to explore how suicidal thoughts and behaviors change over time among participants who receive Caring Contacts along with treatment as usual, compared to participants who only receive treatment as usual.
All participants will be invited to answer survey questions when they first enroll in the study and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after their emergency department visit. Some participants will receive Caring Contacts (brief, hopeful, supportive text messages) after their emergency department visit. Some participants will be invited to complete an interview about their experiences receiving Caring Contacts.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
12 to <18 years of age
Present to the emergency department with suicidal thoughts or behaviors as indicated by the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ)
Have a cell phone that can receive text messages
Proficient in English
Disqualifiers
In care of the Department of Children and Family Services
Unable to participate meaningfully in assent, assessments, or the intervention, as determined by the treating clinician, including any of the following: acute or chronic cognitive impairment, acute psychosis, current severe agitation, current alcohol or drug intoxication
Trial design
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Caring Contacts Text Messages
Other interventionCaring Contacts are brief, hopeful, supportive text messages.
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Self-Report Recent
The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Self-Report Recent measures recent suicidal ideation and behavior on a scale of 0-5, with higher scores indicating greater severity.
Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Collaborator