Acceptability, Feasibility, Fidelity, and Exploration of the Efficacy of a Stratified Care Intervention for the Prevention of Suicidal Ideation, Depression, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Reframe-IT+ & CARIBOU
Acceptability, Feasibility, Fidelity, and Exploration of the Efficacy of a Stratified Care Intervention for the Prevention of Suicidal Ideation, Depression, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Reframe-IT+ & CARIBOU
The aim of this study is to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity of implementing a stratified care intervention for adolescents with suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms, and to preliminarily explore its effectiveness in reducing suicidal ideation and depression in educational institutions with high socioeconomic vulnerability in the Metropolitan Region.
Specific Objectives
Participants will:
Hypotheses or research assumptions
This study proposes the following hypotheses regarding the feasibility of the study using Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT with the addition of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component (H1), the fidelity of the intervention (H2), the acceptability of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component (H3)and the expected effects of the intervention (H4 and H5):
H1: We will be able to recruit 21 educational institutions, screen 70% of the students who consent to participate in this project, and ensure the participation of 100 students, all of whom will be offered CARIBOU-SITB and then, based on depressive symptoms, will be assigned to Reframe-IT+ (47 students) or CARIBOU-CBT (53 students).
H2: Facilitators of the Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT programs, incorporating the initial CARIBOU-SITB component, will demonstrate 80% adherence to the manual-as a measure of fidelity-based on self-reports regarding the implementation of each session.
H3: After adapting the material for the initial CARIBOU-SITB component to Chilean culture, a high level of acceptability (over 70% positive ratings) is expected from participating students and facilitators following the intervention.
H4: Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT, with the addition of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component, will reduce suicidal ideation, depressive and anxiety symptoms, hopelessness, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among participating students at the end of the intervention and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention.
H5: Reframe-IT+ and CARIBOU-CBT, with the addition of the initial CARIBOU-SITB component, will improve overall functioning, quality of life, cognitive-behavioral skills, behavioral activation, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills in participating students at the end of the intervention and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention.
Inclusion Criteria:
Schools
Students
Exclusion Criteria:
This is a quasi-experimental study without a control group, using a pre-post design with follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention. The study targets 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students attending secondary schools with high socioeconomic vulnerability (≥50% on the School Vulnerability Index, IVE-SINAE) in the Metropolitan Region of Chile.
The intervention comprises two sequential components. First, all eligible students with suicidal ideation (C-SSRS score ≥3) receive CARIBOU-SITB, a four-session individual intervention based on dialectical behavior therapy and motivational interviewing, focused on safety planning and reducing the risk of self-harm. Following this component, students are stratified according to their depressive symptom severity on the PHQ-9: those with mild or moderate symptoms (PHQ-9 <20) are offered Reframe-IT+, a 13-session individual cognitive-behavioral intervention combining in-person and digital delivery; those with severe symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥20) are offered CARIBOU-CBT, a 16-session individual cognitive-behavioral intervention. Both programs are delivered at the schools by trained psychologists and target behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills, with CARIBOU-CBT additionally addressing communication skills.
The study is conducted in two phases. A preparatory phase includes translation and cultural adaptation of the CARIBOU-SITB manual, preparation of intervention and assessment materials, facilitator training, and development of protocols for managing critical risk situations. An implementation phase follows, encompassing school recruitment, parental informed consent, student screening and informed consent/assent, invitation interviews to confirm eligibility, program delivery, and post-intervention and follow-up assessments.
Primary outcomes includes the feasibility of implementing the stratified care plan (recruitment, attendance, response, and retention rates), the fidelity of implementation by facilitators (self-reported adherence to session protocols), and the acceptability of the CARIBOU-SITB component (assessed via acceptability questionnaires and the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, CSQ-8). Secondary outcomes explore the preliminary efficacy of the interventions in reducing suicidal ideation (C-SSRS, SIQ-JR), non-suicidal self-injury, depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and hopelessness (BHS), as well as their efficacy in improving general functioning, quality of life, and cognitive-behavioral skills related to behavioral activation, emotional regulation, and problem-solving, assessed immediately post-intervention and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.