Suicide Prevention
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a short "Papageno story" video of a compilation of interviews on proximal risk factors for suicide. The researchers believe that the intervention may increase protective factors related to suicide.
Detailed description
Update 4/20/2026: We changed the study design section from "randomized" to "non-randomized" to reflect a change that was brought to our attention. The platform we used for this study did not use a randomizing function, but rather, individuals were presented with surveys on their dashboards. They only became aware of the surveys' content once they clicked the link and began the session. They were not allowed to respond to both the "Papageno" and the active control surveys.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPapageno video
The intervention will be a video (14 min 13 sec in length) of a series of clips from the "Papageno" interviews developed during the pilot phase of this project. The decision to combine the videos and shorten the total length of the video was based on the feedback we received during the acceptability and feasibility phase of this study. Interviewees were asked questions about a time in their life when they came close to suicide but found non-suicide alternatives (their "Papageno" story).
BEHAVIORALControl video
The control condition will involve viewing a mental health education video (12 min 14 sec in length) created by our team. It is a simple informational video, aimed at psychoeducation about suicide and safety promotion. It includes a list of mental health and crisis resources. Both videos are interview-style.
Sponsors
University of Michigan
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Ouida Scholar Award
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 24 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* People who are part of an existing cohort within DesignXM * They will also answer yes to the question: "In the past 1 year, have you wished you were dead or wished you could go to sleep and not wake up?"
Exclusion criteria
* No exclusions if all inclusion criteria is met
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Suicidal ideation | Immediately before and after watching the video and at 3 months | Assessed with the Abbreviated Reasons For Living- Young Adult Abbreviated (RFL-YA-II) which consists of 24 questions rated on a scale of 1-6. Higher scores indicate greater importance. |
| Hopelessness | Immediately before and after watching the video and at 3 months | Assessed with the Beck Hopelessness Scale-4 (BHS-4). The BHS-4 assesses participants' sense of hopelessness, including perceptions of whether their personal actions can improve future outcomes. Participants rate 4 items using a 4 point Likert scale (e.g. "My future seems dark to me"). Each question is coded 0 for positive expectations and 1 for negative expectations. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Participant perceived agency | Immediately before and after watching the video and at 3 months | As measured by the Perceived Control Scale which is a single-item measure of participant perceived control. Participants will rate agreement with the statement, "right now, I feel like things are out of my control" from 0-10 ("not at all" to "a lot"). |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJane Harness, DO
University of Michigan
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORCheryl King, PhD
University of Michigan
Outcome results
None listed