Adaptive family program to boost follow-up mental health care after an ED visit
Official title: An Adaptive Intervention to Increase Engagement to Community-based Care After an ED Admission: For Youth at Risk for Suicide and Self-injurious Behavior
Run by Rhode Island Hospital · NCT07092345 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test a brief, family-based adaptive program to help youth ages 8–17 with suicidal or self-injurious behavior connect to and keep attending community mental health care after an emergency department visit.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 8 Years to 17 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 186 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Rhode Island Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Providence, Rhode Island) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 17, 2025 |
| Main results expected | January 2029 |
| Study ends | March 2029 |
| Registry record updated | August 14, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07092345 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are youth age 8–17 who present to the ED with suicidal or non-suicidal self-injurious behavior and who live at home with at least one legal guardian able to consent and communicate in English or Spanish.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients likely not to benefit include those presenting with active psychosis, sexual assault, child abuse, in police custody, under active child protection investigations, unable to assent due to severity or developmental disability, or those without a caregiver who can provide consent or communicate in English/Spanish.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The intervention uses a SMART (sequential multiple assignment randomized trial) design with two stages of randomization to tailor support for youth and their caregivers. In the ED dyads are first randomized to either a digital psychosocial-only approach or the same psychosocial content plus ongoing text-message support. Youth identified as non-responders after two weeks are re-randomized to second-stage options that add a family navigation model to address barriers to care. The goal is to increase mental health literacy, improve family communication about mental health, increase outpatient appointment attendance, and reduce repeat ED visits and self-injurious risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase outpatient mental health attendance and reduce repeat ED visits and self-injury risk among participating youth.
How similar studies have gone: Prior family-based and digital follow-up programs have shown some success in improving linkage to outpatient care, but applying a SMART adaptive design specifically for ED-presenting suicidal youth is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Youth 8 to 17 years * Youth presenting to the ED with suicide and self-injurious behavior * Youth living at home with at least one legal guardian/caregiver Exclusion Criteria: * Youth presenting to the ED with psychosis, sexual assault, child abuse * Youth in police custody, * Youth with an active investigation with the department of child and youth services (DCYF) * Youth unable to assent due to severity of illness or developmental disabilities, * Youth who cannot communicate in English or Spanish, * Youth without a caregiver/legal guardian who can provide consent
Where it's running
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Hasbro Children's Hospital
Providence, Rhode Island, United States Recruiting
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.