Can a smartphone app help young adults stop self-harming?
NCT ID NCT05325944
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested a digital mental health app designed to help young adults (ages 18-25) who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury and are not currently in treatment. The app provides psychoeducation, skill-building exercises, and daily check-ins. Researchers compared a self-guided version, a version with low-intensity coaching, and a control group that received only educational content. The goal was to see if the app is feasible and acceptable for a larger future trial.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- digital mental health intervention (self-guided or with coaching)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide an accessible, low-cost way to help young adults reduce self-injury and improve mental health without needing in-person therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small feasibility trial with only 90 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention is digital and self-guided, so engagement and effectiveness may vary.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
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