Suicidal BehaviourNCT06255171
Social Media and Suicidal Behaviour - Study 1
A study testing Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on nature, Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on deaths by suicide and Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on traffic-related deaths in people with Suicidal Behaviour, run by University of Primorska at 1 site in Slovenia.
Trial summary
There is limited research investigating the correlation between suicidal behavior in the general population and online journalism reporting on suicide. Even less explored are the roles and characteristics of suicide-related news posts on social media platforms, along with reader comments, and their association with… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Suicidal Behaviour
- What is being tested?
- Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on nature, Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on deaths by suicide and Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on traffic-related deaths
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 62 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSlovenia
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2023to Oct 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 to 40 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- over the age of 18
- providing an informed consent for participation in the study
- not exceeding the limit values on any of the questionnaires of the screening battery
Who cannot join
- under the age of 18
- not providing an informed consent for participation in the study
- exceeding the limit values on at least one questionnaire of the screening battery
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Social Media and Suicidal Behaviour: a Study of the Impact of Suicide Related Journalistic Publications on Commentators and Readers - Study 1
There is limited research investigating the correlation between suicidal behavior in the general population and online journalism reporting on suicide. Even less explored are the roles and characteristics of suicide-related news posts on social media platforms, along with reader comments, and their association with users' experiences. The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial is to experimentally examine the influence of these post features on user perceptions. Participants are expected to be university students or young adults.
In line with this aim, the following research question has been posed:
Read more
How do users of social media and forums perceive news posts about suicide on social media platforms?
Participants will complete a screening battery of questionnaires. Those who will be eligible to participate will be divided into 1 experimental and 2 control groups. Firstly the participants will fill out a questionnaire regarding their current mood. Each group will read posts of a different theme, one of them will be suicidal behavior, deaths due to traffic accidents, and nature. They will be asked to observe and read 4 social media posts and their corresponding articles. After each article, they will answer a few questions on how they perceived these articles and how are they currently feeling. After the main part of the study, all groups of participants will be involved in a group debriefing conversation.
Read the detailed description
The clinical trial will comprise three samples:
- The experimental group sample (experimental condition: reading articles on death by suicide). Experimental group sample will include 20-25 adult residents of Slovenia.
- The first control group sample (control condition: reading articles on deaths due to traffic accidents). First control group sample will include 20-25 adult residents of Slovenia.
- The second control group sample (control condition: reading neutral articles about nature). Second control group sample will include 20-25 adult residents of Slovenia.
The total number of participants in all three groups will range from 60 to 80 individuals, they will be recruited through various channels. The research group will disseminate the link to the online invitation using the 1KA platform, along with a request for its dissemination to the departments of the University of Primorska and other public universities in Slovenia. Members of the research team will also share the research invitation with their students. Recruitment will be extended through media announcements, our website zivziv.si, and our Facebook account, UP Insititute Andrej Marušič. Additional invitations to participate in the study may be extended through brief presentations in courses across different academic disciplines, in collaboration with the respective course instructors.
The research invitation will be freely accessible online and will include information about the compensation for participation. The invitation will also include a consent form, which participants will provide at the first stage and which will cover all further stages of study participation. The online consent form will be presented on the 1KA platform.
The sample will exclusively include adult residents of Slovenia. Participants who receive the invitation and decide to participate will:
- Read detailed instructions about the project and participation and complete an informed consent: Clicking on the link will take potential participants to the first step of research participation on the 1KA platform. They will read all the relevant information about the purpose, implementation, and then proceed to complete an informed consent indicating their conscious decision to participate. If participants provide all necessary information and the informed consent for participation, they will receive a link to the next step on the 1KA platform-completing a battery of questionnaires for screening purposes (detailed in the section on the description of methods). ii) Complete the screening battery of questionnaires: Participants will then receive a link to a battery of questionnaires assessing subjective well-being, the presence of depression symptoms, and/or suicidal thoughts. After completing the questionnaire battery on the 1KA platform, all participants will receive an invitation to participate in the experimental laboratory study or a notice of potential rejection via their provided email address. The rejection notice will include an explanation of the rejection, sources of assistance in distress, the significance of seeking help, and our contact information. This notice will be sent to those participants who exhibit diminished subjective well-being, the presence of depression symptoms, and/or suicidal thoughts for their safety and well-being, excluding them from the study.
Participants who do not exceed the predefined threshold values will be invited to participate in the main part of the study.
iii) Participate in the main part of the study (experimental and control groups): The main part of the study will include the experimental group and two control groups of participants. Participants will be randomly assigned to groups, ensuring that the experimental and control groups are comparable in terms of the number of participants, gender, age, and their field of study or achieved education level (social sciences or natural sciences). Other characteristics of participants cannot be predicted at this stage.
Participants will receive instructions for participating in the study. Potential participants will be informed that the remainder of the study will involve in-person participation under various experimental conditions (exposure to one of three different content modules). Each participant will be exposed to only one condition and its corresponding content module, but they will not know which one before or during active participation in the study. Participants will be informed in advance that they will not know which condition they are randomly assigned to during the exposure. This approach aims to ensure transparency while achieving valid findings. Participants will be informed of their assigned condition immediately after completing their participation in the main part of the study. After the main part of the study, all groups of participants will be involved in a group debriefing conversation, providing an opportunity for feedback from both the study's facilitators and participants. It will facilitate clarification of conditions (experimental or control group) and provide a platform for discussing participants' feelings, potential dilemmas, questions, etc.
- Conditions
- Suicidal Behaviour
- Being tested
- Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on nature, Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on deaths by suicide, Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on traffic-related deaths
- Keywords
- social media, suicide, reporting on suicide, university students, impact of reporting, suicidal behaviour
- Medical subject headings
- Suicide
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on natureBehavioural
Reading journalistic posts and articles, published on social media, regarding nature.
Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on deaths by suicideBehavioural
Reading journalistic posts and articles, published on social media, regarding deaths by suicide.
Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on traffic-related deathsBehavioural
Reading journalistic posts and articles, published on social media, regarding traffic-related deaths
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Nature articles - control 1 | Other | Participants will read posts and articles about nature. Receives: Behavioral: Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on nature |
| Death by suicide articles | Experimental | Participants will read posts and articles about death by suicide. Receives: Behavioral: Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on deaths by suicide |
| Articles about traffic-related deaths - control 2 | Other | Participants will read posts and articles about traffic-related deaths. Receives: Behavioral: Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on traffic-related deaths |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
The experience of a social media user when reading posts
For the purposes of this study, questions were formulated about the experience of publication
Measured: Approximately 1 minute after being presented each social media post
Secondary outcomes (2)
Self-rating of mood - Pleasant-Unpleasant Scale
Using the Brief Mood Introspection Scale; BMIS; Mayer in Gaschke, 1988. Pleasant-Unpleasant Scale, min = 16, max = 64, a higher score indicating a more pleasant mood
Measured: Before and approximately 1 minute after being presented each social media post
Self-rating of mood - Arousal-Calm Mood Scale
Using the Brief Mood Introspection Scale; BMIS; Mayer in Gaschke, 1988. Arousal-Calm Scale, min = 12, max = 48, a higher score indicating a more aroused mood
Measured: Before and approximately 1 minute after being presented each social media post
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Feb 2024
- Study start1 Dec 2023
- Primary completion12 Aug 2024
- Study completionOct 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Suicidal BehaviourStudies 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
- Model description
- Participants will be allocated to one of 3 arms, one of which will be an experimental group and 2 will be control groups.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 62 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Primorska
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Slovenian Research Agency
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Diego De Leo, Study director, University of PrimorskaVita Poštuvan, Principal investigator, University of Primorska
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06255171
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- J3-3081-1
- Status last verified
- Dec 2024
- First submitted
- 17 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 19 Dec 2024
- 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 19 Dec 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Social Media and Suicidal Behaviour: a Study of the Impact of Suicide Related Journalistic Publications on Commentators and Readers - Study 1
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06255171
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- J3-3081-1
- Conditions
- Suicidal Behaviour
- Keywords
- social media, suicide, reporting on suicide, university students, impact of reporting, suicidal behaviour
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 62 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PrimorskaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Slovenian Research Agency
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 12 Aug 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- Oct 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Feb 2024 (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.
There is limited research investigating the correlation between suicidal behavior in the general population and online journalism reporting on suicide. Even less explored are the roles and characteristics of suicide-related news posts on social media platforms, along with reader comments, and their association with users' experiences. The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial is to experimentally examine the influence of these post features on user perceptions. Participants are expected to be university students or young adults.
In line with this aim, the following research question has been posed:
How do users of social media and forums perceive news posts about suicide on social media platforms?
Participants will complete a screening battery of questionnaires. Those who will be eligible to participate will be divided into 1 experimental and 2 control groups. Firstly the participants will fill out a questionnaire regarding their current mood. Each group will read posts of a different theme, one of them will be suicidal behavior, deaths due to traffic accidents, and nature. They will be asked to observe and read 4 social media posts and their corresponding articles. After each article, they will answer a few questions on how they perceived these articles and how are they currently feeling. After the main part of the study, all groups of participants will be involved in a group debriefing conversation.
Detailed description
The clinical trial will comprise three samples:
- The experimental group sample (experimental condition: reading articles on death by suicide). Experimental group sample will include 20-25 adult residents of Slovenia.
- The first control group sample (control condition: reading articles on deaths due to traffic accidents). First control group sample will include 20-25 adult residents of Slovenia.
- The second control group sample (control condition: reading neutral articles about nature). Second control group sample will include 20-25 adult residents of Slovenia.
The total number of participants in all three groups will range from 60 to 80 individuals, they will be recruited through various channels. The research group will disseminate the link to the online invitation using the 1KA platform, along with a request for its dissemination to the departments of the University of Primorska and other public universities in Slovenia. Members of the research team will also share the research invitation with their students. Recruitment will be extended through media announcements, our website zivziv.si, and our Facebook account, UP Insititute Andrej Marušič. Additional invitations to participate in the study may be extended through brief presentations in courses across different academic disciplines, in collaboration with the respective course instructors.
The research invitation will be freely accessible online and will include information about the compensation for participation. The invitation will also include a consent form, which participants will provide at the first stage and which will cover all further stages of study participation. The online consent form will be presented on the 1KA platform.
The sample will exclusively include adult residents of Slovenia. Participants who receive the invitation and decide to participate will:
- Read detailed instructions about the project and participation and complete an informed consent: Clicking on the link will take potential participants to the first step of research participation on the 1KA platform. They will read all the relevant information about the purpose, implementation, and then proceed to complete an informed consent indicating their conscious decision to participate. If participants provide all necessary information and the informed consent for participation, they will receive a link to the next step on the 1KA platform-completing a battery of questionnaires for screening purposes (detailed in the section on the description of methods). ii) Complete the screening battery of questionnaires: Participants will then receive a link to a battery of questionnaires assessing subjective well-being, the presence of depression symptoms, and/or suicidal thoughts. After completing the questionnaire battery on the 1KA platform, all participants will receive an invitation to participate in the experimental laboratory study or a notice of potential rejection via their provided email address. The rejection notice will include an explanation of the rejection, sources of assistance in distress, the significance of seeking help, and our contact information. This notice will be sent to those participants who exhibit diminished subjective well-being, the presence of depression symptoms, and/or suicidal thoughts for their safety and well-being, excluding them from the study.
Participants who do not exceed the predefined threshold values will be invited to participate in the main part of the study.
iii) Participate in the main part of the study (experimental and control groups): The main part of the study will include the experimental group and two control groups of participants. Participants will be randomly assigned to groups, ensuring that the experimental and control groups are comparable in terms of the number of participants, gender, age, and their field of study or achieved education level (social sciences or natural sciences). Other characteristics of participants cannot be predicted at this stage.
Participants will receive instructions for participating in the study. Potential participants will be informed that the remainder of the study will involve in-person participation under various experimental conditions (exposure to one of three different content modules). Each participant will be exposed to only one condition and its corresponding content module, but they will not know which one before or during active participation in the study. Participants will be informed in advance that they will not know which condition they are randomly assigned to during the exposure. This approach aims to ensure transparency while achieving valid findings. Participants will be informed of their assigned condition immediately after completing their participation in the main part of the study. After the main part of the study, all groups of participants will be involved in a group debriefing conversation, providing an opportunity for feedback from both the study's facilitators and participants. It will facilitate clarification of conditions (experimental or control group) and provide a platform for discussing participants' feelings, potential dilemmas, questions, etc.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- Participants will be allocated to one of 3 arms, one of which will be an experimental group and 2 will be control groups.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Nature articles - control 1 | Other | Behavioral: Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on natureParticipants will read posts and articles about nature. |
| Death by suicide articles | Experimental | Behavioral: Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on deaths by suicideParticipants will read posts and articles about death by suicide. |
| Articles about traffic-related deaths - control 2 | Other | Behavioral: Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on traffic-related deathsParticipants will read posts and articles about traffic-related deaths. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- over the age of 18
- providing an informed consent for participation in the study
- not exceeding the limit values on any of the questionnaires of the screening battery
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- under the age of 18
- not providing an informed consent for participation in the study
- exceeding the limit values on at least one questionnaire of the screening battery
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on natureReading journalistic posts and articles, published on social media, regarding nature. | Behavioural | Nature articles - control 1 |
| Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on deaths by suicideReading journalistic posts and articles, published on social media, regarding deaths by suicide. | Behavioural | Death by suicide articles |
| Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on traffic-related deathsReading journalistic posts and articles, published on social media, regarding traffic-related deaths | Behavioural | Articles about traffic-related deaths - control 2 |
Primary outcome
The experience of a social media user when reading posts
Time frame: Approximately 1 minute after being presented each social media post
For the purposes of this study, questions were formulated about the experience of publication
2 secondary outcomes
Self-rating of mood - Pleasant-Unpleasant Scale
Time frame: Before and approximately 1 minute after being presented each social media post
Self-rating of mood - Arousal-Calm Mood Scale
Time frame: Before and approximately 1 minute after being presented each social media post
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 Dec 2024.
- Project description in Sicris database (en)Link provided by the sponsor.
- Opis projekta v bazi Sicris (slo)Link provided by the sponsor.
- 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.
Diego De Leo study director
University of Primorska
Vita Poštuvan principal investigator
University of Primorska
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on nature, Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on deaths by suicide and Reading journalistic posts and articles on social media on traffic-related deaths in people with Suicidal Behaviour, run by University of Primorska at 1 site in Slovenia.
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 3 inclusion and 3 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Dec 2024. 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 Slovenia. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
The experience of a social media user when reading posts (time frame: Approximately 1 minute after being presented each social media post). 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 19 Dec 2024.