Digital peer-support program using recovery stories for suicidal adolescents
Official title: A Pilot Evaluation of a Digital Peer Support Intervention for Suicidal Adolescents
Run by Albert Einstein College of Medicine · NCT06349915 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team will try a brief, low-cost digital program that shares short recovery stories to see if it reduces suicidal thoughts in ethnically diverse teens in The Bronx.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 14 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 46 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Albert Einstein College of Medicine Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (The Bronx, New York) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 2026 |
| Main results expected | April 2028 |
| Study ends | April 2028 |
| Registry record updated | October 5, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06349915 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adolescents in The Bronx with past-month suicidal thoughts and major depressive disorder who can read/write English and own an Android or Apple smartphone with a data plan are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with active mania, active psychosis, autism spectrum disorder, inability to read/write English, or those without a smartphone or who need more intensive immediate care are unlikely to benefit from this brief digital program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a single-arm pilot testing a smartphone-delivered intervention called SWEEP that provides one peer recovery narrative per day for 14 days to adolescents with recent suicidal thoughts and depression. Participants (n=46 in Phase 2) will receive narratives in audio and text formats and complete ecological momentary assessments of suicidal thoughts five times daily via an app. Six participants receiving outpatient psychiatric care will also complete post-intervention qualitative interviews to refine procedures. The primary outcome is reduction in intensity of suicidal thoughts over the 14-day period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could offer a scalable, culturally responsive, low-cost way to reduce suicidal thinking among underserved adolescents.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior digital peer-support and narrative-based interventions have shown promise for improving mood and engagement, but rigorous evidence for suicide-specific reductions is limited and this specific approach is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * past-month history of suicidal thoughts * past-month history of Major depressive disorder * possession of apple or android smartphone with data plan Exclusion Criteria: * inability to read/write in English * Active mania * Active psychosis * Autism spectrum disorder
Where it's running
-
Montefiore Health System
The Bronx, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Peter J Franz, Ph.D. — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Peter J Franz, Ph.D.
- Email: peter.franz@einsteinmed.edu
- Phone: 6077278620
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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.