Suicide PreventionCHATQ-1813NCT07176156
Evaluation of the Quality of Chat Conversations With the Suicide Helpline Zelfmoordlijn 1813
An observational study of Suicide Prevention and User Experience, run by University Ghent at 1 site in Belgium.
Trial summary
Suicide remains a serious public health issue in Flanders. Every day, nearly three people die by suicide, and many more attempt it or struggle with suicidal thoughts. The Zelfmoordlijn 1813 is a free and confidential helpline that offers support to people in crisis through phone, chat, and email. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 16 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Suicide Prevention, User Experience, Suicide
- How many people
- 373 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBelgium
- Study dates
- 23 Sep 2025to 31 Dec 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 16 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Participants contact the chat service of the helpline Zelfmoordlijn 1813 regarding their suicidality. Participants in the study are recruited via the Zelfmoordlijn 1813's digital chat system. Only chat-users for whom an operator is available at that moment are given the opportunity to participate in the study.
Who may be able to join
- being at least 16 years of age
- they are chatting on their own behalf (not for someone else)
Who cannot join
- indication that they do not meet these criteria or are not interested in the study
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Belgium1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention, Ghent University
Ghent, East-Flanders, 9000
Eva De Jaegere, PhD, +3293320775, eva.dejaegere@ugent.be
Gwendolyn Portzky, PhD
About this study
Suicide remains a serious public health issue in Flanders. Every day, nearly three people die by suicide, and many more attempt it or struggle with suicidal thoughts. The Zelfmoordlijn 1813 is a free and confidential helpline that offers support to people in crisis through phone, chat, and email. In 2024, volunteers had over 23,000 conversations, including nearly 3,000 via chat.
This study, led by the Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (VLESP) in collaboration with the Centre for Suicide Prevention (CPZ), aims to better understand how people experience the chat service of the Zelfmoordlijn 1813. While previous research has looked at the impact of phone conversations, little is known about how chat conversations affect suicidal thoughts and feelings.
Read more
To explore this, people who contact the chat service will be invited to fill out a short questionnaire before and after their conversation. These questionnaires take about 3 minutes each and are completely voluntary. They ask about feelings like hopelessness, crisis, and perceived support, as well as satisfaction with the chat.
The goal is to improve the quality of chat-based crisis support and ensure that people in emotional distress receive the best possible help. This research will help strengthen suicide prevention efforts in Flanders.
- Conditions
- Suicide Prevention, User Experience, Suicide, Suicidal Ideation
- Being tested
- No intervention
- Keywords
- suicide prevention, suicide, suicidal ideation, helpline
- Medical subject headings
- Suicide Prevention, Suicide, Suicidal Ideation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
No interventionOther
Observational one-time questionnaire study without intervention
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Users of the Zelfmoord1813 chat service | Participants in this study are individuals who contact the chat service of the Zelfmoordlijn 1813 and meet the following criteria:
* They are 16 years or older
* They are chatting on their own behalf (not for someone else)
Participation is entirely voluntary. Before and after the chat conversation, eligible participants are invited to complete a short questionnaire to help researchers understand how the chat affects their emotional state and suicidal thoughts. Receives: Other: No intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Changes in Suicidality
Suicidality is assessed using six key indicators: crisis, hopelessness, helplessness, sense of control, intent to die, and perceived social support. These indicators are measured through short online questionnaires administered before and after the chat conversation with the Suicide Line 1813.
This set of indicators was selected based on prior research into the effectiveness of suicide prevention helplines and core concepts regarding suicidality.
Measured: Pre- and post-measurement (immediately before and after the chat conversation)
Secondary outcomes (1)
User Satisfaction with the chat conversation.
During the post-measurement (immediately after the chat conversation), participants are asked about their satisfaction with the chat, their experiences regarding understanding and any additional comments they wish to share.
Measured: Post-measurement (immediately after the chat conversation)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Sep 2025
- Study start23 Sep 2025
- Primary completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2026 (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.
- More trials run by University GhentThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 373 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Ghent
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Gwendolyn Portzky, PhD, Principal investigator, Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (Ghent University)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07176156
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ONZ-2025-0321
- Acronym
- CHATQ-1813
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 17 Sep 2026
- 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 17 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of the Quality of Chat Conversations With the Suicide Helpline Zelfmoordlijn 1813
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07176156
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CHATQ-1813 / ONZ-2025-0321
- Conditions
- Suicide Prevention, User Experience, Suicide, Suicidal Ideation
- Keywords
- suicide prevention, suicide, suicidal ideation, helpline
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 373 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University GhentUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 23 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Sep 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.
Suicide remains a serious public health issue in Flanders. Every day, nearly three people die by suicide, and many more attempt it or struggle with suicidal thoughts. The Zelfmoordlijn 1813 is a free and confidential helpline that offers support to people in crisis through phone, chat, and email. In 2024, volunteers had over 23,000 conversations, including nearly 3,000 via chat.
This study, led by the Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (VLESP) in collaboration with the Centre for Suicide Prevention (CPZ), aims to better understand how people experience the chat service of the Zelfmoordlijn 1813. While previous research has looked at the impact of phone conversations, little is known about how chat conversations affect suicidal thoughts and feelings.
To explore this, people who contact the chat service will be invited to fill out a short questionnaire before and after their conversation. These questionnaires take about 3 minutes each and are completely voluntary. They ask about feelings like hopelessness, crisis, and perceived support, as well as satisfaction with the chat.
The goal is to improve the quality of chat-based crisis support and ensure that people in emotional distress receive the best possible help. This research will help strengthen suicide prevention efforts in Flanders.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Users of the Zelfmoord1813 chat service | – | Other: No interventionParticipants in this study are individuals who contact the chat service of the Zelfmoordlijn 1813 and meet the following criteria: * They are 16 years or older * They are chatting on their own behalf (not for someone else) Participation is entirely voluntary. Before and after the chat conversation, eligible participants are invited to complete a short questionnaire to help researchers understand how the chat affects their emotional state and suicidal thoughts. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 16 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Participants contact the chat service of the helpline Zelfmoordlijn 1813 regarding their suicidality. Participants in the study are recruited via the Zelfmoordlijn 1813's digital chat system. Only chat-users for whom an operator is available at that moment are given the opportunity to participate in the study.
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- being at least 16 years of age
- they are chatting on their own behalf (not for someone else)
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- indication that they do not meet these criteria or are not interested in the study
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 |
|---|---|---|
| No interventionObservational one-time questionnaire study without intervention | Other | Users of the Zelfmoord1813 chat service |
Primary outcome
Changes in Suicidality
Time frame: Pre- and post-measurement (immediately before and after the chat conversation)
Suicidality is assessed using six key indicators: crisis, hopelessness, helplessness, sense of control, intent to die, and perceived social support. These indicators are measured through short online questionnaires administered before and after the chat conversation with the Suicide Line 1813. This set of indicators was selected based on prior research into the effectiveness of suicide prevention helplines and core concepts regarding suicidality.
1 secondary outcome
User Satisfaction with the chat conversation.
Time frame: Post-measurement (immediately after the chat conversation)
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 17 Sep 2026.
- 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.
Gwendolyn Portzky, PhD principal investigator
Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (Ghent University)
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Suicide Prevention and User Experience, run by University Ghent at 1 site in Belgium.
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 2 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 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 Belgium. 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 Eva De Jaegere, PhD (+3293320775, eva.dejaegere@ugent.be), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Changes in Suicidality (time frame: Pre- and post-measurement (immediately before and after the chat conversation)). 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 17 Sep 2026.