Combining therapies to help adolescents with insomnia and reduce suicide risk
Combined Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia for Adolescents at High Risk for Suicide: A Pilot RCT
This study is exploring a new way to support teenagers who are at high risk for suicide by combining two types of therapy—one for managing suicidal thoughts and another to help with sleep problems—to see if this approach works better than just focusing on suicide alone, and it starts by getting input from teens and their therapists to make sure the treatment is helpful and engaging.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10886735 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research investigates a new approach to help adolescents who are at high risk for suicide by combining two types of therapy: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for managing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (dCBTI) to address sleep issues. The study aims to determine if using these therapies together can lead to better outcomes than using suicide-focused treatment alone. Initially, the researchers will gather feedback from a small group of adolescents and their therapists to refine the treatment protocol, ensuring it is engaging and effective for young participants.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents aged 10 to 24 who are experiencing insomnia and are at high risk for suicide.
Not a fit: Patients who do not have insomnia or are not at risk for suicide may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce self-harm behaviors and suicidal thoughts in adolescents struggling with insomnia.
How similar studies have performed: While combining insomnia treatments with suicide prevention strategies is a novel approach, previous studies have shown that both DBT and dCBTI are effective individually.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Berk, Michele Stacy — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Berk, Michele Stacy
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.