Study of a Digital Avatar Program to Support Young Adults With Alcohol Use and Suicidal Thoughts in the Emergency Department Randomized Trial Comparing Avatar Support to a Suicide Safety Planning App

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a new digital avatar-guided support program designed to help emerging adults aged 18 to 29 who visit the emergency department with suicidal thoughts and alcohol misuse. The study aims to understand if participants use and find the program helpful, whether they can complete daily surveys for 28 days and follow-up surveys over 12 weeks, and if the program shows early signs of reducing alcohol use and suicidal thoughts. The study compares this new program to a freely available suicide safety planning app. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will use the avatar-guided digital intervention with text message reminders, which includes monitoring alcohol use and suicidal triggers, skills training, resources for outpatient care and crisis hotlines, and milestone achievements. The other group will use a free suicide safety planning app that helps create a personalized safety plan. All participants receive standard emergency department care and any follow-up or referral services needed. During the study, participants will complete surveys at the start and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks, along with daily short surveys for 28 days. Researchers will assess alcohol use, suicidal thoughts, and related experiences, as well as participant satisfaction and safety through adverse event monitoring. The total participation lasts 12 weeks, focusing on acceptability, feasibility, and early signals of the programs effects.

Preliminary Trial of an Avatar Guided Digital Intervention for Emerging Adults