Reward Sensitivity Digital Intervention for Suicide Risk

Adolescent suicide remains a major concern, and current treatments and prevention approaches are not effective for all adolescents. Some adolescents, particularly those who have difficulty experiencing pleasure or positive emotions (anhedonia), may be at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and may benefit less from existing interventions. This study aims to address this gap by developing and testing a digital intervention designed to improve reward sensitivity, increase positive emotions, and reduce suicidal thoughts in adolescents.

The intervention uses a just-in-time adaptive intervention approach, meaning that participants receive brief support activities and coping tools on their smartphone throughout the day. These activities are designed to promote healthy reward-seeking behaviors, improve mood, and provide support during moments when adolescents may be especially open to intervention. The study also uses ecological momentary assessments, which are short real-time surveys completed multiple times per day to measure mood, motivation, thoughts, context, and daily experiences.

The study will be conducted in multiple phases. The study is currently recruiting for Phase 1. In Phase 1, adolescents and their legal guardians will participate in a co-design process and provide feedback on the digital platform and intervention content to improve usability and acceptability.

Participants will complete interviews, questionnaires, and digital assessments related to mood, emotions, reward sensitivity, coping behaviors, and suicidal thoughts. Findings from this study will help inform future digital suicide prevention interventions for adolescents.

Inclusion criteria

ADOLESCENTS

• Aged 13-17 years old
• Recent suicidal ideation
• Access to a smartphone device
• Residing in the Philadelphia metropolitan area

LEGALGUARDIANS

• They are the legal guardian of an adolescent that meets all study criteria (see above)
• They can read, write, and speak English

Exclusion criteria

ADOLESCENTS

• Psychotic disorder, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified, with a past year psychotic episode prior to baseline
• Bipolar disorder I diagnosis, with a past year manic episode prior to baseline
• Imminent suicide risk (e.g., active suicidal ideation with a specific plan and intent)

LEGALGUARDIANS

• There are no exclusion criteria for legal guardians