Evaluation of the Quality of Chat Conversations With the Suicide Helpline Zelfmoordlijn 1813
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: No intervention.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Suicide Prevention, User Experience, Suicide, Suicidal Ideation. Basic parameters: from 16 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Belgium
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
Suicide remains a serious public health issue in Flanders. Every day, nearly three people die by suicide, and many more attempt it or struggle with suicidal thoughts. The Zelfmoordlijn 1813 is a free and confidential helpline that offers support to people in crisis through phone, chat, and email. In 2024, volunteers had over 23,000 conversations, including nearly 3,000 via chat. This study, led by the Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (VLESP) in collaboration with the Centre for Suicide Prevention (CPZ), aims to better understand how people experience the chat service of the Zelfmoordlijn 1813. While previous research has looked at the impact of phone conversations, little is known about how chat conversations affect suicidal thoughts and feelings. To explore this, people who contact the chat service will be invited to fill out a short questionnaire before and after their conversation. These questionnaires take about 3 minutes each and are completely voluntary. They ask about feelings like hopelessness, crisis, and perceived support, as well as satisfaction with the chat. The goal is to improve the quality of chat-based crisis support and ensure that people in emotional distress receive the best possible help. This research will help strengthen suicide prevention efforts in Flanders.
Interventions
- Other No intervention
Observational one-time questionnaire study without intervention
Primary outcome measures
- Changes in Suicidality [Time frame: Pre- and post-measurement (immediately before and after the chat conversation)]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- User Satisfaction with the chat conversation. [Time frame: Post-measurement (immediately after the chat conversation)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- being at least 16 years of age
- they are chatting on their own behalf (not for someone else)
Exclusion criteria
- indication that they do not meet these criteria or are not interested in the study
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-only
Study locations
Belgium · 1 center
- Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention, Ghent University — Ghent
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07176156 · ONZ-2025-0321