Beating Adolescent Self-Harm (BASH) - Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A comparison of usual care versus usual care plus a smartphone self-harm prevention app (BlueIce) in young adolescents aged 12-17 who self-harm.
IRAS ID
259917
Contact name
Paul Stallard
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN10541045
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Research Summary:
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Self-harm (intentional self-injury or poisoning) is common amongst young people aged 12-17 with up to one in six reporting self-harm at least once during the past year. Self-harm is linked to other mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and substance misuse and with an increased risk of suicide. Nearly all self-harm happens whilst the young person is on their own. However, most have access to a mobile phone at the time they harm themselvesWHAT WE DID?
We talked with young people who told us that a telephone app could provide them with help at times they were thinking of self-harming. We had workshops with young people to design, develop and produce a smartphone app, BlueIce, which we tested with 44 young people. Young people liked the app with three-quarters telling us that their self-harm had stopped or reduced after using it for 12 weeks.WHAT WE WANT TO DO?
We want to test whether adding BlueIce to the usual care provided by specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) for young people who self-harm reduces self-harm, improves how they feel and results in fewer emergency contacts.HOW WE WILL DO IT?
We will ask young people being seen by CAMHS who are self-harming to take part in a randomised controlled trial. They will be allocated to usual care or usual care plus BlueIce.HOW WILL WE KNOW IF IT IS EFFECTIVE?
We will ask young people before using BlueIce, after 12 and 26 weeks about their self-harm, mood, how they feel and any care they have received for their self-harm (i.e. attending Emergency Departments). We will compare the two groups to explore any differences in self-harm, depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, general behaviour and emergency contacts and support for self-harm.Summary of Results:
A comparison of usual care versus usual care plus a smartphone self-harm prevention app (BlueIce) in young adolescents aged 12-17 who self-harm.Aims of the research.
We want to find out if a smartphone app (BlueIce) can prevent young people from self-harming.Background
Up to one in 5 young people will self-harm during adolescence Self-harm is a risk factor for suicide in young people.
Digital technology offers a way of supporting young people during times of crisis.
No studies have assessed whether an app can prevent self-harm in young people aged 12-17 years.Design and Methods
We undertook a randomised controlled trial.
Participants were young people (n=170) aged 12-17 years attending specialist mental health services with mental health problems and repeated self-harm They were randomised to usual mental health care or usual mental health care plus the BlueIce app.Results
Self-harm in both groups reduced after 12-weeks and continued to improve at 6 months.
There were improvements in mood and anxiety in both groups.
Although there were no differences between the groups on our clinical outcomes, there were 47% fewer adverse events (attendances at emergency department/overnight admissions) in the group who received BlueIce.
84% reported that BlueIce prevented at least one episode of self-harm.Conclusion
The addition of BlueIce to usual mental healthcare for young adolescents who repeatedly self-harm is acceptable and resulted in fewer adverse events.
BlueIce should be offered as part of usual care for young people who self-harm.REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0212
Date of REC Opinion
23 May 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion