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Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07043764

Caring Contacts Via Text Message for Suicidal Adolescents After Emergency Department Discharge

The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn if Caring Contacts (brief, hopeful, supportive text messages) can be delivered to adolescents with suicidal thoughts or behaviors after discharge from the emergency department, and to understand if adolescents find it acceptable to receive Caring Contacts. Researchers will also begin to explore how suicidal thoughts and behaviors change over time among participants who receive Caring Contacts along with treatment as usual, compared to participants who only receive treatment as usual.

All participants will be invited to answer survey questions when they first enroll in the study and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after their emergency department visit. Some participants will receive Caring Contacts (brief, hopeful, supportive text messages) after their emergency department visit. Some participants will be invited to complete an interview about their experiences receiving Caring Contacts.

Recruiting

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Key information

Conditions

Suicide Prevention Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Self-Injurious Behavior Suicide

Age range

12 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jennifer A. Hoffmann, MD, MS

CONTACT

[email protected]

312-227-4000

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 12 to <18 years of age
  • Present to the emergency department with suicidal thoughts or behaviors as indicated by the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ)
  • Have a cell phone that can receive text messages
  • Proficient in English
  • Anticipated disposition of discharge from the emergency department

Exclusion criteria

  • In care of the Department of Children and Family Services
  • Unable to participate meaningfully in assent, assessments, or the intervention, as determined by the treating clinician, including any of the following: acute or chronic cognitive impairment, acute psychosis, current severe agitation, current alcohol or drug intoxication

Treatment and study plan

Caring Contacts Text Messages

Other

Caring Contacts are brief, hopeful, supportive text messages.

Primary outcomes

  1. Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Self-Report Recent

    Time frame: Baseline, 1 Month, 3 Months, 6 Months, 12 Months

    The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Self-Report Recent measures recent suicidal ideation and behavior on a scale of 0-5, with higher scores indicating greater severity.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jennifer A. Hoffmann, MD, MS

CONTACT

[email protected]

312-227-4000

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Registry information

Official study title

Caring Texts for Adolescents to Reduce Suicide Risk

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2028
First posted
Jun 29, 2025
Registry last updated
Sep 21, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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