Augmenting Safety Planning With Text Messaging Support for Adolescents at Elevated Suicide Risk: Development and...

Area of Science:

• Adolescent psychiatry
• Digital health interventions
• Suicidology

Background:

• Suicide is a leading cause of death in adolescents, necessitating effective post-hospitalization interventions.
• Continuity of care is crucial for adolescents at high risk of recurrent suicidal behaviors after psychiatric hospitalization.
• Text messaging offers a scalable and accessible approach to support this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To iteratively develop and assess the acceptability of a text-based intervention for adolescents at elevated suicide risk.
• To encourage adaptive coping and safety plan adherence during the critical post-hospitalization period.
• To gather feedback on message content and delivery for refinement.

Main Methods:

• Two-phase study involving 40 adolescents (aged 13-17) hospitalized for suicide risk.
• Phase 1: Message content developed based on in-hospital feedback.
• Phase 2: Refined text messages tested daily for one month post-discharge, with qualitative interviews.

Main Results:

• Text-based support was found to be acceptable and potentially helpful for post-hospitalization transition.
• Adolescents perceived texts as reminders for coping strategies, mood improvement, and sources of hope.
• Negative affect (anger) was associated with lower message liking, while positive affect correlated with perceived helpfulness.

Conclusions:

• Text-based support is a viable continuity of care strategy for adolescents transitioning from inpatient psychiatric care.
• Findings highlight the potential of digital interventions in suicide prevention for youth.
• Further research is required to evaluate the impact of these interventions on suicide-related outcomes.