Suicide PreventionNCT07043764
Caring Contacts Via Text Message for Suicidal Adolescents After Emergency Department Discharge
A study testing Caring Contacts Text Messages in people with Suicide Prevention, run by Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 12 to 17 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Suicide Prevention
- What is being tested?
- Caring Contacts Text Messages
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 56 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Sep 2026to Aug 2028
- 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 12 to 17 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- 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
Who cannot join
- 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
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, 60611
Jennifer A. Hoffmann, MD, MS, 312-227-4000, jhoffmann@luriechildrens.org
About this study
Official title: Caring Texts for Adolescents to Reduce Suicide Risk
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.
- Conditions
- Suicide Prevention
- Being tested
- Caring Contacts Text Messages
- Keywords
- Adolescent, Text Messaging
- Medical subject headings
- Suicide Prevention
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Caring Contacts Text MessagesOther
Caring Contacts are brief, hopeful, supportive text messages.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment as Usual | No intervention | Treatment as usual consists of a suicide risk assessment during the emergency department visit, determination of disposition, safety planning, provision of crisis resources, and coordination of follow-up mental health services if indicated. |
| Caring Contacts | Experimental | In addition to Treatment as Usual, participants will receive Caring Contacts, consisting of brief, hopeful, supportive text messages. Receives: Other: Caring Contacts Text Messages |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Self-Report Recent
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.
Measured: Baseline, 1 Month, 3 Months, 6 Months, 12 Months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Jun 2025
- Study start15 Sep 2026
- Primary completionAug 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Suicide PreventionStudies 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Randomized controlled trial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 56 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jennifer Hoffmann, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Investigators
- Jennifer A. Hoffmann, MD, MS, Principal investigator, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07043764
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2024-6680
- Other IDs
- K23MH135206
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Jun 2025
- Last updated
- 21 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Data will be shared through the NIMH Data Archive
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Caring Texts for Adolescents to Reduce Suicide Risk
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07043764
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2024-6680
- Conditions
- Suicide Prevention
- Keywords
- Adolescent, Text Messaging
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 56 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Study start
- 15 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 29 Jun 2025 (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.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Randomized controlled trial
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment as Usual | No intervention | –Treatment as usual consists of a suicide risk assessment during the emergency department visit, determination of disposition, safety planning, provision of crisis resources, and coordination of follow-up mental health services if indicated. |
| Caring Contacts | Experimental | Other: Caring Contacts Text MessagesIn addition to Treatment as Usual, participants will receive Caring Contacts, consisting of brief, hopeful, supportive text messages. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 12 to 17 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 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
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Caring Contacts Text MessagesCaring Contacts are brief, hopeful, supportive text messages. | Other | Caring Contacts |
Primary outcome
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.
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 21 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Data will be shared through the NIMH Data Archive
Related trials for Suicide Prevention
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Suicide
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.
Jennifer A. Hoffmann, MD, MS principal investigator
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Caring Contacts Text Messages in people with Suicide Prevention, run by Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago 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 5 inclusion and 2 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Sep 2026. 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?
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?
Contact Jennifer A. Hoffmann, MD, MS (312-227-4000, jhoffmann@luriechildrens.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Self-Report Recent (time frame: Baseline, 1 Month, 3 Months, 6 Months, 12 Months). 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 21 Sep 2026.