Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Digital Psychotherapy Trial
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: digital psychotherapy, Treatment as Usual (TAU).
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Non-suicidal Self-injury (NSSI). Basic parameters: 12 years — 25 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
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- 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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Official title
A Novel Digital Psychotherapy Intervention for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
The goal of this randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial is to investigate multi-dimensional biomarkers (blood, brain imaging, clinical information, and symptom assessment) in adolescents with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) and to evaluate the therapeutic and prognostic effects of a novel digital psychological intervention plus treatment as usual (TAU) compared to TAU alone in this population. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer \[is/are\]: What are the distinct biomarker profiles (e.g., inflammatory, endocrine, neuroimaging) associated with adolescent NSSI? Does the novel digital psychological intervention (based on CBT and DBT) combined with TAU lead to a higher clinical response rate (≥25% reduction in NSSI scale score from baseline) at 8 and 16 weeks compared to TAU alone? If there is a comparison group: Researchers will compare the digital intervention plus TAU group to the TAU-only group to see if adding the digital intervention significantly improves NSSI symptom reduction, depressive symptoms (HAMD-24 response rate), and long-term outcomes. Participants will: Undergo baseline assessments including blood sampling (inflammatory and endocrine markers, routine biochemistry), structural and resting-state functional MRI, and clinical scales (e.g., HAMD, HAMA). Use a smartphone app for 8 weeks, completing 16 self-guided digital modules (2 per week, 15-25 minutes each) based on CBT and DBT, covering topics such as NSSI psychoeducation, safety planning, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and relapse prevention. Complete daily Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) questionnaires (1-2 minutes) on self-harm urge intensity, mood, and coping skills used; receive Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) when high urge is detected. Receive low-intensity remote coaching (one 20-30 min onboarding call, then two brief contacts per week via text/call/email) to support app adherence. Attend follow-up assessments at week 4, week 8 (intervention endpoint), and week 16 (study endpoint) for repeated clinical and outcome measures.
Interventions
- Behavioral digital psychotherapy
The experimental intervention is an 8-week, self-guided digital psychological intervention delivered via a smartphone application, added to treatment as usual (TAU). It is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). The intervention includes: 16 interactive modules (2 per week, 15-25 minutes each) covering NSSI psychoeducation, safety planning, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and relapse prevention. Daily - Drug Treatment as Usual (TAU)
Treatment as usual (TAU) consists of standard clinical care provided at the Department of Psychiatry, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. TAU may include medication management (e.g., antidepressants or mood stabilizers as clinically indicated), routine psychiatric follow-up visits, supportive counseling, and any other non-experimental interventions prescribed by the treating psychiatrist. No additional digital psychological intervention is given. Participants
Primary outcome measures
- Clinical Response Rate [Time frame: At week 8 (intervention endpoint) and week 16 (study endpoint)]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Depressive Symptom Response Rate [Time frame: At week 8 and week 16]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Diagnosis of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) according to DSM-5, confirmed by two psychiatrists with senior professional titles.
- Adolescents aged 12-25 years, any gender.
- Willing to participate voluntarily and with good insight.
Exclusion criteria
- Presence of severe mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, substance use disorder, intellectual disability).
- Major central nervous system diseases (e.g., history of head trauma or infection, intracranial tumor, cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy).
- History of major physical diseases (e.g., malignancy, myocardial infarction, liver or kidney dysfunction).
- History of abuse of sedative-hypnotics, alcohol, or other psychoactive substances.
- History of suicide attempt, current high suicide risk, or current suicidal behavior/ideation.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07683234 · KY-2026-051