SuicideNCT06114849
Brief Interventions on Social Media to Reduce Suicide Risk (Intervention 3)
A study testing Treatment as usual and Barrier Reduction Intervention in people with Suicide and Distress, Emotional, run by Harvard University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This clinical trial is part of a series of brief interventions to reduce suicide risk in collaboration with the social media platform RallyPoint, a site specifically designed for U.S. servicemembers and veterans to connect with one another. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Suicide, Distress, Emotional
- What is being tested?
- Treatment as usual and Barrier Reduction Intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 29 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 20 Nov 2023to 14 Mar 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Active RallyPoint users who had at least one post flagged by a machine learning risk algorithm for containing concerning language (e.g., descriptions of suicidal thoughts or behaviors).
Who cannot join
- Active RallyPoint users who have not had any posts flagged by a machine learning risk algorithm.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
RallyPoint Networks, Inc
Boston, Massachusetts, 02109
About this study
Official title: Analysis of a Peer-to-Peer Support Social Media Platform for Service Members and Veterans of the U.S. Military: Intervention 1 (Professional Outreach)
This clinical trial is part of a series of brief interventions to reduce suicide risk in collaboration with the social media platform RallyPoint, a site specifically designed for U.S. servicemembers and veterans to connect with one another. In this RCT (Intervention 3: Professional Outreach), the investigators will test a psychoeducational intervention aimed at increasing users' likelihood of reaching out to mental health resources (e.g., suicide hotline) when experiencing distress.
Read the detailed description
Both active duty and veterans of the United States military are at elevated risk for the development of psychological disorders such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol and substance use disorders, and suicide. Despite the clear need for psychological interventions for this population, only a small proportion of veterans utilize the Veteran's Affairs Health Care System for psychiatric care. Further, most people who are at-risk for suicide do not present for mental health treatment prior to their deaths. There are several reasons why military personnel may not seek out treatment, including stigma of mental health care, or structural barriers such as availability of treatment. Prior research from the current team comparing Army soldiers who died by suicide to matched control soldiers found that suicide decedents were more likely to perceive concerns that receiving mental health care would hurt their careers, reduce others' confidence in them, or lead others to see them as weak.
To increase the likelihood that veterans and servicemembers receive the help they need, one option is to harness technology to assess and treat mental health concerns outside of traditional healthcare settings. Social media platforms may be a particularly promising avenue for identifying and providing outreach to at-risk individuals, given research suggesting that peer support may be preferable to professional mental health treatment. In fact, a recent survey of military servicemembers conducted by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, servicemembers indicated that when they are feeling stressed, they prefer to speak with peers or spouses/partners (48-54%) rather than medical or mental health professionals (4-7%). Social media platforms may offer a scalable way of identifying and helping at-risk individuals.
In the current project, the investigators have partnered with the military-specific social media site RallyPoint (www.rallypoint.com) in order to determine how to best support at-risk veterans and servicemembers. The investigators will be testing three brief interventions aimed at connecting RallyPoint users to peer and professional resources:
Intervention 1: Peer support: This intervention will aim to improve RallyPoint users' ability to support their peers.
Intervention 2: Stigma-reduction intervention: This intervention will focus on reducing barriers that are inhibiting members in distress from reaching out to their peers.
Intervention 3: Professional Outreach (current intervention): This last intervention will aim to reduce barriers that are inhibiting members in distress from seeking professional mental health support.
- Conditions
- Suicide, Distress, Emotional
- Being tested
- Treatment as usual, Barrier Reduction Intervention
- Medical subject headings
- Suicide
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Treatment as usualBehavioural
Treatment-as-usual will follow the existing RallyPoint procedures for concerning posts on the site. In the current procedures, a RallyPoint staff member sends a supportive message to the member containing resource information on the Veteran's Crisis line, 911, and connecting with a therapist. This information is typically sent within 24 hrs of seeing a concerning post. Participants in both the control and intervention conditions will receive treatment-as-usual.
Barrier Reduction InterventionBehavioural
After a post is identified in real-time by the risk algorithm, participants will be shown a pop-up message offering information on mental health resources (e.g., crisis line). Participants will be asked about their likelihood of using these resources. For participants who indicate they are not likely to use these resources, they will then be presented with a list of common barriers to help-seeking, drawing from research in this area (e.g., "Treatment is too expensive" or "I'm concerned about the police or paramedics getting involved."). Participants will be asked to click on any reason that resonates with them. When they click on a particular reason, they will then be presented with psychoeducational information to allay their concerns and encourage professional help-seeking.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Active comparator | Participants will be identified using a machine learning risk algorithm developed by the investigators that will automatically identify concerning posts (e.g., those mentioning suicidal thoughts or behaviors). RallyPoint members whose posts are flagged will randomly be assigned to the intervention group or the control group. Receives: Behavioral: Treatment as usual |
| Intervention | Experimental | Participants will be identified using a machine learning risk algorithm developed by the investigators that will automatically identify concerning posts (e.g., those mentioning suicidal thoughts or behaviors). RallyPoint members whose posts are flagged will randomly be assigned to the intervention group or the control group. Receives: Behavioral: Treatment as usual; Behavioral: Barrier Reduction Intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of participants reporting use of resources
The investigators are primarily interested in whether participants in both groups contacted professional/emergency services after receiving the intervention or treatment-as-usual. Participants will be sent follow-up surveys to ask about which resources they have contacted.
Measured: 24 hrs post intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Nov 2023
- Study start20 Nov 2023
- Primary completion14 Mar 2025
- Study completion14 Mar 2025
Why it stopped: Slow recruitment and enrollment. Unable to meet target N.
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for SuicideStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 29 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Harvard University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Matthew Nock, Harvard University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06114849
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB19-1260-3
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 30 Oct 2023
- Last updated
- 13 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Analysis of a Peer-to-Peer Support Social Media Platform for Service Members and Veterans of the U.S. Military: Intervention 1 (Professional Outreach)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06114849
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB19-1260-3
- Conditions
- Suicide, Distress, Emotional
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Slow recruitment and enrollment. Unable to meet target N.
- Enrolment
- 29 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Harvard UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 Nov 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 14 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 14 Mar 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 2 Nov 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This clinical trial is part of a series of brief interventions to reduce suicide risk in collaboration with the social media platform RallyPoint, a site specifically designed for U.S. servicemembers and veterans to connect with one another. In this RCT (Intervention 3: Professional Outreach), the investigators will test a psychoeducational intervention aimed at increasing users' likelihood of reaching out to mental health resources (e.g., suicide hotline) when experiencing distress.
Detailed description
Both active duty and veterans of the United States military are at elevated risk for the development of psychological disorders such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol and substance use disorders, and suicide. Despite the clear need for psychological interventions for this population, only a small proportion of veterans utilize the Veteran's Affairs Health Care System for psychiatric care. Further, most people who are at-risk for suicide do not present for mental health treatment prior to their deaths. There are several reasons why military personnel may not seek out treatment, including stigma of mental health care, or structural barriers such as availability of treatment. Prior research from the current team comparing Army soldiers who died by suicide to matched control soldiers found that suicide decedents were more likely to perceive concerns that receiving mental health care would hurt their careers, reduce others' confidence in them, or lead others to see them as weak.
To increase the likelihood that veterans and servicemembers receive the help they need, one option is to harness technology to assess and treat mental health concerns outside of traditional healthcare settings. Social media platforms may be a particularly promising avenue for identifying and providing outreach to at-risk individuals, given research suggesting that peer support may be preferable to professional mental health treatment. In fact, a recent survey of military servicemembers conducted by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, servicemembers indicated that when they are feeling stressed, they prefer to speak with peers or spouses/partners (48-54%) rather than medical or mental health professionals (4-7%). Social media platforms may offer a scalable way of identifying and helping at-risk individuals.
In the current project, the investigators have partnered with the military-specific social media site RallyPoint (www.rallypoint.com) in order to determine how to best support at-risk veterans and servicemembers. The investigators will be testing three brief interventions aimed at connecting RallyPoint users to peer and professional resources:
Intervention 1: Peer support: This intervention will aim to improve RallyPoint users' ability to support their peers.
Intervention 2: Stigma-reduction intervention: This intervention will focus on reducing barriers that are inhibiting members in distress from reaching out to their peers.
Intervention 3: Professional Outreach (current intervention): This last intervention will aim to reduce barriers that are inhibiting members in distress from seeking professional mental health support.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Active comparator | Behavioral: Treatment as usualParticipants will be identified using a machine learning risk algorithm developed by the investigators that will automatically identify concerning posts (e.g., those mentioning suicidal thoughts or behaviors). RallyPoint members whose posts are flagged will randomly be assigned to the intervention group or the control group. |
| Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Treatment as usual, Behavioral: Barrier Reduction InterventionParticipants will be identified using a machine learning risk algorithm developed by the investigators that will automatically identify concerning posts (e.g., those mentioning suicidal thoughts or behaviors). RallyPoint members whose posts are flagged will randomly be assigned to the intervention group or the control group. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Active RallyPoint users who had at least one post flagged by a machine learning risk algorithm for containing concerning language (e.g., descriptions of suicidal thoughts or behaviors).
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Active RallyPoint users who have not had any posts flagged by a machine learning risk algorithm.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment as usualTreatment-as-usual will follow the existing RallyPoint procedures for concerning posts on the site. In the current procedures, a RallyPoint staff member sends a supportive message to the member containing resource information on the Veteran's Crisis line, 911, and connecting with a therapist. This information is typically sent within 24 hrs of seeing a concerning post. Participants in both the control and intervention conditions will receive treatment-as-usual. | Behavioural | Control, Intervention |
| Barrier Reduction InterventionAfter a post is identified in real-time by the risk algorithm, participants will be shown a pop-up message offering information on mental health resources (e.g., crisis line). Participants will be asked about their likelihood of using these resources. For participants who indicate they are not likely to use these resources, they will then be presented with a list of common barriers to help-seeking, drawing from research in this area (e.g., "Treatment is too expensive" or "I'm concerned about the police or paramedics getting involved."). Participants will be asked to click on any reason that resonates with them. When they click on a particular reason, they will then be presented with psychoeducational information to allay their concerns and encourage professional help-seeking. | Behavioural | Intervention |
Primary outcome
Number of participants reporting use of resources
Time frame: 24 hrs post intervention
The investigators are primarily interested in whether participants in both groups contacted professional/emergency services after receiving the intervention or treatment-as-usual. Participants will be sent follow-up surveys to ask about which resources they have contacted.
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: Slow recruitment and enrollment. Unable to meet target N.). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Aug 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Treatment as usual and Barrier Reduction Intervention in people with Suicide and Distress, Emotional, run by Harvard University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early (reason given: Slow recruitment and enrollment. Unable to meet target N.). Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of participants reporting use of resources (time frame: 24 hrs post intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Aug 2025.