New app aims to curb teen suicide with daily mood boosts
NCT ID NCT07661901
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 27, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study is testing a smartphone app called DIGIReward designed to help teenagers aged 13-17 who have recent suicidal thoughts. The app sends daily check-ins and suggests mood-boosting activities. Researchers want to see if teens find the app helpful and easy to use. The study involves 20 teens and their guardians in the Philadelphia area.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Smartphone app (DIGIReward) providing daily check-ins and mood-boosting skills
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a practical, scalable tool to help teens manage suicidal thoughts and improve emotional well-being.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (20 participants) focused on usability, not effectiveness. The app may not work for everyone or may not reduce suicidal thoughts in larger trials.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Aug 2026
- Expected to finish
-
Sep 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
13 to 17 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: ADOLESCENTS * Aged 13-17 years old * Recent suicidal ideation * Access to a smartphone device * Residing in the Philadelphia metropolitan area LEGALGUARDIANS * They are the legal guardian of an adolescent that meets all study criteria (see above) * They can read, write, and speak English Exclusion Criteria: ADOLESCENTS * Psychotic disorder, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified, with a past year psychotic episode prior to baseline * Bipolar disorder I diagnosis, with a past year manic episode prior to baseline * Imminent suicide risk (e.g., active suicidal ideation with a specific plan and intent) LEGALGUARDIANS \- There are no exclusion criteria for legal guardians
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anhedonia are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of Pennsylvania
RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can training teens to recall good moments lift their mood?
- Can a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure comic help kids eat better and move more?
- Can group therapy help teens with suicidal thoughts?
- Can music soothe the inner pain of a suicidal crisis?
- Can a WhatsApp chatbot help keep children safer?
- Zapping two brain regions may restore pleasure in depression