Pilot Study of a Modified Safety Planning Intervention for Elementary School-Aged Children - Main Study

September 3, 2026 updated by: Liat Itzhaky, Columbia University

The goal of this study is to finalize a version of the Safety Planning Intervention suitable for 6-12-year-old children. This intervention provides individuals with strategies to reduce the risk of suicidal behavior.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  1. Does the intervention appear clear and acceptable to the children and caregivers?
  2. Does the intervention work to reduce suicidal behavior? Researchers will compare the group that received the intervention to a group that did not receive it, and to a group that received it and reported daily on its use.

Participants will:

  1. Children and parents will respond to questions in an interview and through self-reports in an in-person meeting
  2. Children and parents will receive the intervention (those in the intervention groups)
  3. Parents will report daily for one month (only those in the intervention + reporting group)
  4. Children and parents will meet with the study team through a video call at 1 and 3 months from the first meeting for an interview.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
90

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
        • Children Hospital of Philadelphia

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.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children aged 6-12
  • Active suicidal ideation or a suicidal behavior in the last month
  • The child and their caregiver are English speakers
  • The child will be in an outpatient treatment at CHOP at the time of enrollment and baseline procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Child received a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder or intellectual disability
  • Child is suffering from active mania

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Treatment as usual (TAU)
Experimental: Child-safety planning intervention (C-SPI) + TAU
Child - Safety Planning Intervention
Behavioral: Child - Safety Planning Intervention
The Child Safety Planning Intervention (C-SPI) provides psychoeducation to children and caregivers about emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, emphasizing how these interact and change over time. Suicidal thoughts are framed as temporary reactions to triggers that can be recognized and managed. The intervention reviews a recent suicidal crisis to identify triggers, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which are then used to help the child recognize warning signs in the future. These signs are organized into levels (green, yellow, red), each linked to specific action steps.
Other Names:
  • C-SPI
Other: C-SPI + TAU + ecological momentary assessment
Child - Safety Planning Intervention and daily reporting
Behavioral: Child - Safety Planning Intervention
The Child Safety Planning Intervention (C-SPI) provides psychoeducation to children and caregivers about emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, emphasizing how these interact and change over time. Suicidal thoughts are framed as temporary reactions to triggers that can be recognized and managed. The intervention reviews a recent suicidal crisis to identify triggers, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which are then used to help the child recognize warning signs in the future. These signs are organized into levels (green, yellow, red), each linked to specific action steps.
Other Names:
  • C-SPI
Behavioral: C-SPI+ecological momentary assessment
C-SPI and daily, self-reported use of C-SPI
Other Names:
  • EMA
  • C-SPI

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Feasibility and acceptability of the C-SPI
Time Frame: At baseline (following the intervention), and at 1 and 3 months follow-ups
Whether intervention is clear and perceived as helpful on a scale of 1-5 (higher score indicates better perception of helpfulness)
At baseline (following the intervention), and at 1 and 3 months follow-ups
Utilization of the C-SPI
Time Frame: Daily for a month (through EMA), and at 1 and 3 month follow-ups
Whether the C-SPI was used or not (0 or 1)
Daily for a month (through EMA), and at 1 and 3 month follow-ups
Suicidal behavior
Time Frame: 1 and 3 months
Whether suicidal behavior was present and how many times (count variable beginning with zero; higher score indicating worse outcome)
1 and 3 months
Suicidal ideation severity
Time Frame: 1 and 3 months
On a scale of 0-5 with higher score indicating worse outcome
1 and 3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mental health treatment engagement/service utilization
Time Frame: 1 and 3 months
Number of contact with mental health providers (count variable beginning with zero; higher score indicating better outcome)
1 and 3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Columbia University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 9, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 27, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 27, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 3, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • AAAV3403

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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