Support for caregivers after a child's emergency visit for suicidal thoughts or behaviors
Official title: Supporting Caregivers Following Mental Health Emergency Department Visits
Run by Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · NCT07411300 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This pilot test compares follow-up phone calls and automated MyChart messages to usual care for caregivers of 10–17-year-olds discharged from the ER after suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 10 Years to 17 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 75 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 26, 2026 |
| Main results expected | August 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | August 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | February 13, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07411300 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are English- or Spanish-speaking parents or guardians of 10–17-year-olds seen in Lurie Children's Hospital ED for suicidal thoughts or behaviors who are discharged with a safety plan and are willing to enroll in MyChart.
✕Probably not a fit
Caregivers of youths who are admitted or transferred for inpatient care, youths in state custody, those not proficient in English or Spanish, caregivers unwilling to enroll in MyChart, or additional caregivers beyond the single enrolled per patient are unlikely to benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This pilot hybrid effectiveness-implementation type 1 randomized controlled trial enrolls caregivers of youth aged 10–17 who present to Lurie Children's Hospital ED with suicidal thoughts or behaviors and are discharged with a safety plan. Families are randomized to one of three arms: usual care, follow-up phone calls, or automated MyChart messages sent through the electronic medical record. The study will measure caregiver engagement, adherence to the safety plan, and implementation outcomes such as feasibility and acceptability. Findings will inform whether phone or secure-message follow-up can be scaled to improve post-discharge caregiver support in pediatric emergency settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the interventions could improve caregiver support after discharge, increase adherence to safety plans, and reduce repeat suicidal crises and ED returns.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies of post-discharge follow-up contacts and safety planning have shown reductions in suicidal behavior and ED reuse, but caregiver-directed MyChart messaging is a newer and less-tested approach.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants are eligible for participation in the current study if they are parent/guardians of youth ages 10-17 who received a psychiatric evaluation in the ED for suicidal thoughts or behaviors and are being discharged with a safety plan Exclusion Criteria: * Parents/guardians will be excluded from recruitment if the youth is in state custody, if they are not proficient in English or Spanish, if the patient is being admitted or transferred for medical or psychiatric hospital admission, or they are not willing to enroll in MyChart through the EMR. The investigators are also only enrolling one caregiver per patient. In other words, if a patient returns to the ED with a different caregiver, the investigators will not enroll the other caregiver.
Where it's running
-
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Amanda Burnside, PhD
- Email: aburnside@luriechildrens.org
- Phone: 312-227-2785
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
See if the ED admission decisions are appropriate
This study tests whether the decision to admit patients from the emergency department is appropriate for adults who come in with symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, or abdominal pain.
-
Universal Test and Connect for HIV services in Cape Town emergency departments
This project tests whether offering universal HIV testing and connection-to-care in two Cape Town emergency departments can find people with HIV or at high risk and link them to treatment or PrEP.
-
Using D-dimer to improve patient discharge in emergency departments
This study tests if checking D-dimer levels can help doctors quickly identify low-risk patients in emergency departments who don't need to stay in the hospital.
-
Examining emergency department management for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients
This study looks at how different treatments in the emergency department can help improve survival and brain function for adults who have had a cardiac arrest outside the hospital.
-
Improving Sleep for Older Adults in the Emergency Department
This project tests whether wearing a Fitbit overnight can help understand and improve sleep for adults 70 and older in the emergency department who are likely to be admitted.
-
Digital Triage Prompts to Speed ED Throughput
This study tests whether adding digital checkboxes at triage helps nurses choose initial management steps to move patients through the ED faster.
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.