Using conditioning techniques to help reduce self-harm thoughts and behaviors in adolescents during hospitalization.
Official title: Therapeutic evaluative conditioning to reduce adolescents' self-injurious thoughts and behaviors during and after psychiatric inpatient hospitalization.
Funded at Franciscan Hospital for Children, INC. · NIH-10922719 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new way to help teenagers in the hospital who struggle with self-harm thoughts and behaviors by changing how they feel about self-harm and themselves, to see if it can make them feel better and safer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Franciscan Hospital for Children, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brighton, United States) |
| Project start | September 9, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $186,875 |
| NIH project number | 5R34MH124973-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10922719 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents who are hospitalized for psychiatric reasons and exhibit self-injurious thoughts or behaviors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not exhibit self-injurious thoughts or behaviors or those who are not hospitalized may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates a novel intervention called Therapeutic Evaluative Conditioning (TEC) aimed at reducing self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB) among adolescents who are hospitalized for psychiatric reasons. The approach focuses on modifying the implicit attitudes that adolescents have towards self-harm and themselves, which may contribute to their risk of suicide. By using a form of Pavlovian conditioning, the study seeks to increase aversion to self-harm-related stimuli and decrease negative self-perceptions. The intervention will be tested in a controlled setting to evaluate its effectiveness and feasibility.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide a new therapeutic approach to significantly reduce self-harm and suicidal thoughts in adolescents, potentially saving lives.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific approach of Therapeutic Evaluative Conditioning is novel, similar conditioning techniques have shown promise in other areas of psychological treatment.
Where this research is happening
-
Franciscan Hospital for Children, INC.
Brighton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nock, Matthew K — Franciscan Hospital for Children, INC.
- Study coordinator: Nock, Matthew K
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.