RecruitingNot Applicable

Flourish in Schools Pilot Study

United States20 participantsStarted 2026-03-14

Plain-language summary

This study will test Flourish, a digital suicide prevention intervention for cyberbullied youth, within schools. Specifically, the study aims to: 1. Examine if Flourish is effective and can be feasibly delivered within schools among middle and high school students who are experiencing cyberbullying and suicide risk factors. Feasibility will be evidenced by recruitment and retention rates to the study (\> or = 80%) and use of Flourish at least weekly among 80% of youth. Effectiveness will be evidenced by students reporting improvements in psychological distress and suicidal thoughts over the 3-month follow-up period. 2. Understand barriers or facilitators to Flourish's adoption within schools. We will conduct exit interviews and brief surveys with school personnel to inform optimal strategies for implementing Flourish within schools

Who can participate

Age range11 Years – 21 Years

SexALL

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Inclusion Criteria: * 11-21 years old * English-speaking * have access to a cell phone or tablet that can send/receive SMS text messages * identified as a student who could benefit from the program by a school staff member - OR - screened eligible based on experiencing cyberbullying and suicide risk factors in the past 3 months * past 3-month history of cyberbullying assessed by the cybervictimization subscale of the Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization Scale and/or presence of online discrimination as measured by a modified measure from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD study) * past 3-month history of suicide risk factors, assessed by: psychological distress (\>13 on the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale) and/or suicidal ideation or behavior (via the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale) Exclusion Criteria: * if a student has a condition that might inhibit their ability to effectively engage with Flourish (e.g., intellectual challenges or low literacy levels) * if a students' level of acuity would suggest a higher level of care or referral to emergency services * if a school staff judges the intervention is not appropriate for the student

What they're measuring

Recruitment rates of eligible participants

Timeframe: Assessed upon recruitment to the study

Retention rates of eligible participants

Timeframe: Assessed upon completion of the Week 12 study visits

Level of intervention usage

Timeframe: Assessed upon completion of the 4-week intervention period

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07506525

SponsorCandice Biernesser

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2026-10

Contact for this trial

Candice L Biernesser, PhD

412-586-9064 lubbertcl@upmc.edu