Emerging Technologies and Teen Mental Health

This study will recruit teens who are experiencing subacute suicidal ideation to test the effect of a brief psychoeducational intervention focused on social media use wherein youth learn about active and prosocial use of social media platforms.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Suicidal Ideation; Emotional Distress; Social Functioning
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Prosociality and Agency in Algorithmic Spaces (PAAS) Module

Detailed Description

This study seeks to test a brief psychoeducational intervention among teens between the ages of 12-17 who experience subacute suicidal ideation (i.e. suicidal ideation which does not necessitate intensive, restrictive services) . Participants will be youth recruited from clinic-referred families and the community at large, as part of ongoing recruitment at the FIU Center for Children and Families. Families interested in the study will complete a screening process, and eligible participants will then provide consent (from parents) and assent (from youth) before beginning the study. The brief psychoeducational intervention will focus on social media use wherein youth learn about active and prosocial use of social media platforms.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 200
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Victor Buitron; Phone Number: 305-348-9880; Email: vbuitron@fiu.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Miami, Florida, United States, 33199
      • Recruiting
      • FIU Center for Children and Families
      • Contact: Victor Buitron; Phone Number: 305-348-9880; Email: vbuitron@fiu.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adolescents must (A) be between ages 12 and 17 years
• (B) have a positive screen for suicide risk (i.e. endorsement of suicidal ideation via self-report or parent-report)
• (C) have access to a personal social media account
• (D) be fluent in English
• (E) have available a parent who is fluent in English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Adolescents must not (A) have cognitive impairment or developmental delay which does not allow for the completion of basic study procedures (i.e., reading and filling out questionnaires; talking to a clinician)
• (B) show imminent risk or a history of hurting themselves or others requiring intensive and restrictive services.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Prosociality and Agency in Algorithmic Spaces (PAAS) Module; This arm involves the administration of the PAAS module in a single 30-minute session conducted remotely.

Behavioral: Prosociality and Agency in Algorithmic Spaces (PAAS) Module; This intervention involves brief psychoeducation designed to increase algorithmic literacy and encourage prosocial social media engagement. Specifically, a study staff member will discuss with youth how online algorithmic content (e.g., scrollable social media feeds) is shaped by user inputs and platform goals, and will be guided to engage with content related to prosocial topics and engagement. Working collaboratively with the administrator, participants will modify their algorithmic inputs (e.g., likes, searches, follows) in vivo and observe immediate changes in their feed, if any. Parents will receive a handout explaining the topics covered in the psychoeducational session.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Social Disconnection	Two-item self-reported measure of momentary perceived social disconnection.	From immediately before the intervention to immediately following the intervention.
Perceived Burdensomeness	Two-item self-reported measure of momentary perceived burdensomeness.	From immediately before the intervention to immediately following the intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS)	A self-reported sliding scale of momentary distress 0-10 numeric anchors.	From immediately prior to the intervention to immediately following the intervention.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Florida International University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 20, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 8, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 8, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 8, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Self-Injurious Behavior; Suicide; Behavior; Social Behavior; Suicidal Ideation; Social Adjustment
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB-25-0588

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No