Leverage Noninvasive Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Reduce Suicidal Behaviors in Vulnerable Adolescents

Description

Suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and suicide are increasingly common in adolescence. Current face-to-face prevention approaches are of limited effectiveness, rely on extensive resources, and are at odds with adolescents' digital preferences. We will evaluate two unconventional but promising interventions delivered to 13- to 17-year-olds: transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation to target emotion dysregulation, and a peer-support smartphone app to combat social isolation. If effective, these digitally-delivered interventions could reach far more adolescents at far lower cost than current approaches.

Conditions

Self Harm, Suicidal Ideation

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and suicide are increasingly common in adolescence. Current face-to-face prevention approaches are of limited effectiveness, rely on extensive resources, and are at odds with adolescents' digital preferences. We will evaluate two unconventional but promising interventions delivered to 13- to 17-year-olds: transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation to target emotion dysregulation, and a peer-support smartphone app to combat social isolation. If effective, these digitally-delivered interventions could reach far more adolescents at far lower cost than current approaches.

Leveraging Noninvasive Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Smartphone Technology to Reduce Suicidal Behaviors and Suicide Among Highly Vulnerable Adolescents

Leverage Noninvasive Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Reduce Suicidal Behaviors in Vulnerable Adolescents

Condition
Self Harm
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

South Bend

University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, United States, 46617

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

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Eligibility Criteria

  • * Aged between 13 and 17 years,
  • * Attend in person meetings in South Bend, IN or Rochester, NY. and,
  • * Engaged in non-suicidal self-harm 3 times in the past 6 months or more than 5 times in their life time, with one occurrence in the past year.
  • * Show high scores on emotional dysregulation
  • * Show high scores on social isolation
  • * Show high scores on impulsivity
  • * Show high scores on depression
  • * Engage in alcohol or other substance use
  • * Parent reported autism or schizophrenia
  • * Implanted pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator, other implanted or metallic device
  • * Pregnant or breast feeding
  • * History of seizures or epilepsy
  • * TMJ Disorder
  • * Bells' Palsy
  • * Impaired cranial nerve function
  • * Facial Pain

Ages Eligible for Study

13 Years to 17 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Notre Dame,

Theodore Beauchaine, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, William K Warren Foundation Professor of Psychology

Study Record Dates

2027-09-30