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Real-time Examination of Skills and Coping Use in Teen's Everyday Lives

Examining Mechanisms of Change in Adolescent Self-Inflicted Injury

Who can join

Ages 13 to 18 · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* 3+ incidents of self-inflicted injury (SII). At least one SII episode must score a minimum of "3" on lethality (moderate; e.g., overdose on 11-50 pills; deep cuts anywhere but neck) and "4" on intent (somewhat serious \[about dying\]) - even if aborted or interrupted. Adolescents with 3+ SIIs may also enroll if they have been hospitalized for suicide preparatory behavior.
* English language proficiency
* Access to a smart phone
* Parent/caregiver/legal guardian to participate with the adolescent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Moderate to severe developmental or intellectual disability, psychosis, or a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis.
* Those taking medications with well-documented effects on psychophysiological responding.

About the study

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare two core intervention skills among adolescents with a history of engaging in at least 3 lifetime incidents of self-inflicted injury (SII), at least one of which was a suicide attempt of at least moderate lethality and moderate intent to die. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Whether and when youth use skills in daily life, how quickly skill use declines after teaching, and whether exposure to life stress influences skill learning and retention.

The Investigators also want to know whether brain-related, family-related, and physiology-related factors influence skills practice and any associated changes in self-harm/suicide risk and emotion dysregulation.

Participants will complete surveys 5 times a day on their phones at baseline, and following each skill learning session. All participants will learn and practice the two skills with a parent while discussing topics they often argue about. During these discussions, participants will be hooked up to psychophysiological equipment to measure their cardiovascular functioning and their palm sweat. Participants' discussions will be coded for skill use and also for indices of family functioning. Approximately half of the participants will undergo two sets of fMRI scans to assess potential neural underpinnings of skill use.

What is being tested

• Opposite to emotion action (behavioral)
• GIVE (behavioral)

Sponsor: University of Utah · Participants: 200 · Started: Jul 29, 2024

Contact the study team

• Erin Kaufman, Ph.D. · Phone: 8017819433

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06720753

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Self-Harm
• Suicide

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.