Development and Feasibility Testing of a Suicide Prevention Intervention for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

This study aims to develop and test a brief, digital, suicide prevention intervention for sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth who have experienced cyberbullying. Leading up to this phase, the study team completed two prior study aims, focused on identifying perspectives of SGM youth's regarding their experiences with cyberbullying and priorities for an intervention, and a phase in which SGM youth codesigned the study's intervention with the study team. This resulted in the development of study's intervention, Flourish, which leverages a text messaging-based chatbot to reduce suicide risk following cyberbullying among SGM youth through improving distress tolerance, motivation for help-seeking, and social problem-solving.Current Study Aim:Conduct an open trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of Flourish among cyberbullied SGM youth, ages 12-17 (N=10).Hypotheses:Feasibility will be evidenced by recruitment/retention rates > 80% and use of Flourish among > 70% of SGM youth.At follow-up, adolescents will report improved problem-solving capacity, distress tolerance, and motivation for help-seeking and reduced psychological distress and suicidal ideation compared to baseline.

Inclusion Criteria:self-reported SGM identityEnglish-speakingaccess to a phone or device to complete the study's interventionpast-month history of cyberbullying or online discrimination, assessed by the cybervictimization subscale of the traditional and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration scale or a discrimination measure developed as part of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) studylifetime history of suicidal ideation or behavior (assessed by the Ask Suicide Screen)Exclusion Criteria:intellectual challenges, low literacy levels, or other conditions that might inhibit adolescents' ability to effectively engage with Flourish (reported by parents and, if needed, confirmed through the age-appropriate Wechsler Intelligence scale)acuity levels suggesting need for a higher level of care (e.g., inpatient hospitalization) or referral for emergency services