pittplusme.org/study/2484
ACT Study
STUDY BASICS
Are you the parent of a teen who has experienced negative online social interactions (e.g., mean comments, exclusion, or bullying online) in the past year and suicidal thoughts or behavior in their lifetime? If so, your child may be able to participate in a research study to help test an intervention to reduce the impact of online negativity and prevent suicide risk. Compensation is provided.
STUDY PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to determine if a brief, digital intervention for teens can reduce the mental health impacts of negative online interactions. If the intervention is successful, your teen may benefit from participating in this study through decreased psychological distress and suicidal thoughts. The information gathered from this study may help researchers find better ways to help young people who experience challenges with negative online interactions in the future and offer meaningful insights for youth suicide prevention.
COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD?
Eligible participants:
- Are English-speaking
- Are ages 12-17
- Have had past month experiences with negative online interactions and lifetime histories of suicidal thoughts or behaviors
WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT
Teens will receive a text messaging program that will provide support in response to negative online interactions for 1 month. The texting program will include coping skills, educational resources, and connection to others for help and support when needed. Teens will also participate in assessment visits with a researcher via videocall upon entry to the study and 1-month and 3-months afterward. Assessment visits will be 1-2 hours long.
IRB: STUDY22120062
- Development and Feasibility Testing of Flourish, a Suicide Prevention Intervention for Youth
MEET THE RESEARCHER
Candice Biernesser
Candice Biernesser, PhD, LCSW, is a postdoctoral scholar and licensed clinical social worker at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Biernesser received her PhD from the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Prior to and during her doctoral study she worked alongside her long-standing mentor, Dr. David Brent, and took a leadership role in his studies about the transmission of suicidal behavior in families and clinical trials focused on adolescent suicide prevention. As part of her work with Dr. Brent, she also co-invented the Brite app, a safety planning and emotion regulation smartphone app that aims to reduce suicidal risk among adolescents. Dr. Biernesser is a co-investigator of the Social Media Assessment of Risk in Teens (SMART) study and is also involved with the Upstander Junior project, which aims to develop an online cyberbullying prevention intervention.