Testing Flourish A Text Messaging Program to Reduce Suicide Risk and Help Cyberbullied Teens Cope A Study for English-Speaking Youth Ages 12 to 17 With Recent Cyberbullying and Suicidal Thoughts

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the feasibility and early effects of Flourish, a digital suicide prevention program designed for adolescents aged 12 to 17 who have experienced cyberbullying and are at risk for suicide. This study compares two groups one receiving Flourish plus questionnaires and another receiving questionnaires alone. The trial aims to recruit over 80 participants, including more than 35% from underserved populations, to assess engagement, psychological distress, suicidal thoughts, and coping skills over six months. Participants in the intervention group will be onboarded by a study clinician to Flourish, a chatbot that supports coping after cyberbullying and suicide risk reduction. Flourish is self-paced, with expected interaction two to three times weekly over four weeks, supplemented by an accessible resource website. The control group will receive a chatbot sending brief questionnaires every three days for four weeks without intervention content. Both groups may optionally share social media data for analysis and feedback on online interactions using machine learning. During the study, participants attend four assessment visits at baseline, and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after starting the intervention. These visits include evaluations of mood, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and social media experiences. Researchers will measure recruitment and retention rates, intervention usage, changes in psychological distress, and suicidal ideation severity. The study monitors engagement with Flourish and accepts social media feedback to better understand online experiences related to cyberbullying and mental health.

Development and Testing of imHere4U: A Digital Suicide Prevention Intervention for Cyberbullied Adolescents