Culturally-appropriate tech tools to prevent suicide among Colombian schoolchildren
Harnessing culturally-appropriate, technology-assisted methods to advance suicide prevention among youth in Colombian school settings
This project brings culturally-adapted apps and teacher training into Colombian schools to help reduce suicidal thoughts and support youth mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11400599 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a student at a participating Colombian school, you would have access to a co-designed digital platform with self-help tools, a customizable safety plan, links to online counseling, and gamified content. Your teachers would use a companion digital interface with mental-health information, brief suicide-risk screening, and decision-support to help refer students to care. Teachers can also take a hybrid (online/in-person) mental health diploma program to strengthen school-based support. The project uses a multi-level implementation approach to fit local school settings and aims to close gaps in access to evidence-based prevention in a low- and middle-income country.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are students enrolled in participating primary and secondary schools in Colombia, especially adolescents or youth showing signs of suicide risk or mental-health difficulties.
Not a fit: People who are not enrolled in participating schools, adults outside the school setting, or those needing immediate inpatient psychiatric care are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce suicidal thoughts and improve access to mental-health support for Colombian youth in schools.
How similar studies have performed: Related school-based digital tools and teacher gatekeeper training have shown promising results elsewhere, but this specific culturally-tailored, tech-plus-training approach in Colombia is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Brown University — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Desrosiers, Alethea — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Desrosiers, Alethea
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.