Preliminary Trial of an Avatar Guided Digital Intervention for Emerging Adults

🩺 Protocol Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a novel digital avatar (virtual coach) support program can help emerging adults ages 18-29 who present to the emergency department with suicidal thoughts and alcohol misuse (EA-Avatar). The study also aims to learn whether people find the program easy to use and whether daily surveys and the study design are able to be completed by the majority of emerging adult participants. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Do participants use the digital program and find it helpful? * Is it possible for participants to complete daily surveys for twenty-eight days and follow-up surveys over twelve weeks? * Are there early signs that the program may help lower alcohol use and suicidal thoughts? Researchers will compare participants who receive the new digital avatar program plus supportive text messages to participants who receive a freely available suicide safety planning app to see if there are differences in use, engagement, and early signs of benefit. Participants will: * Receive standard care from the emergency department * Be randomly put into one of two groups (EA-Avatar or a free suicide prevention app) * Depending on their group, use a new avatar-guided digital support program with text message reminders OR use a free suicide safety planning app * Complete surveys at the start of the study and again at four, eight, and twelve weeks * Complete short daily surveys for twenty-eight days

Primary Research Facility: UMass Memorial Health - Marlborough Hospital (Marlborough, Massachusetts)

Review these 3 basic logistical and protocol criteria extracted from the public NIH record. (This is a preliminary logistical checklist, not an official clinical eligibility determination).

📍 Primary Site Map

Site: UMass Memorial Health - Marlborough Hospital — Marlborough, Massachusetts

This protocol is enrolling participants across multiple clinical centers:

💰 Clinical Trial Costs & Insurance Coverage

Coverage for clinical trial participation varies depending on your health insurance policy, state legislation, and whether specific procedures are investigational research or routine medical care. Under federal law (Affordable Care Act § 2709), health insurers generally cannot drop coverage or refuse to pay for routine patient care costs incurred in approved clinical trials.

💡 Always ask the study coordinator for the trial's official Informed Consent Form, which outlines all sponsor-funded research items versus procedures billed to your insurance.