Mobile activity and mood support for at-risk teens
Geospatial and Ecological momentary assessment Technology and Activity Engagement for at-risk youth
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · NIH-11109738
This project offers a smartphone app with movement and location tracking plus health coaching to help teens (ages 12–20) who are losing interest in activities and may have suicidal thoughts.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11109738 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll use an Android app that prompts brief mood check-ins and records movement and location data from your phone or a wearable so the team can see patterns in activity and context. The program pairs these data with health coaching based on Behavioral Activation to help you reconnect with valued activities and reduce avoidance. The app delivers real-time feedback and tailored suggestions to encourage small, achievable activity changes. The team recruits teens from pediatric primary care and adapts the digital program to fit typical clinic populations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Teens aged 12–20 experiencing anhedonia, depression, or suicidal thoughts, who receive care in participating pediatric primary care settings and can use an Android phone and agree to activity and location monitoring, are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: This approach may not help teens who do not have or will not use a smartphone, who decline location/activity tracking, or who need immediate inpatient or intensive psychiatric care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help reduce loss of interest and lower risk for suicidal thoughts by increasing engagement in rewarding activities and providing timely support.
How similar studies have performed: Behavioral Activation has shown benefit for adolescents in face-to-face therapy and small digital pilots look promising, but a sensor-driven mobile BA program in a representative pediatric primary care sample is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: JONASSAINT, CHARLES RICHARD — UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- Study coordinator: JONASSAINT, CHARLES RICHARD
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.