SuicidalityNCT07256496
Enhanced Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents
A study testing Enhanced DBT-A in people with Suicidality, run by Compass Behavioral Health at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Suicide is a leading cause of death and significant concerns for adolescents and young adults. Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) is an evidence-based intervention that effectively reduces life-threatening behaviors. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 13 to 25 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Suicidality
- What is being tested?
- Enhanced DBT-A
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 47 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 17 Oct 2014to 26 Aug 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 13 to 25 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- appropriateness for Stage 1 DBT, completion of all assessments within the designated timeframe, a non-zero score on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) at intake, and participation in at least one ISCS between intake and 1 year from the first individual therapy session.
Who cannot join
- presenting with active psychosis, a primary diagnosis of substance use, who did not consent to data collection, or who had a zero score on the C-SSRS at intake
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Enhanced Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents: Impacts of Individualized Skills Coaching on Constructs of Suicidality
Suicide is a leading cause of death and significant concerns for adolescents and young adults. Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) is an evidence-based intervention that effectively reduces life-threatening behaviors. Limited research examines the impact of adding individualized skills coaching sessions (ISCS) to the DBT-A model, a novel intervention referred to in this paper as "Enhanced DBT-A". This study evaluates the effectiveness of Enhanced DBT-A in reducing suicidality over 1 year of treatment in an outpatient and intensive outpatient setting.
- Conditions
- Suicidality
- Being tested
- Enhanced DBT-A
- Medical subject headings
- Suicidal Ideation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Enhanced DBT-ABehavioural
Participants engaged in Enhanced DBT-A services, including individual therapy, group skills training, phone coaching, and ISCS. Participants completed assessment batteries at intake, 6 months, and 1 year, and the outcome measures assessed participants' severity and intensity of suicidal ideation (SI), reasons for living, and depressive symptoms.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced DBT-A Group | Experimental | Participants engaged in Enhanced DBT-A services, including individual therapy, group skills training, phone coaching, and ISCS. Participants completed assessment batteries at intake, 6 months, and 1 year, and the outcome measures assessed participants' severity and intensity of suicidal ideation (SI), reasons for living, and depressive symptoms. Receives: Behavioral: Enhanced DBT-A |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A)
The Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A; Osman et al, 1998) is a 32-item self-report questionnaire that assesses adaptive reasons that may prevent an adolescent from engaging in life-threatening behavior.
Measured: 1 year
PHQ-9
The current study administered the PHQ-9 to participants 18 years and older. The PHQ-9 (Kroenke et al, 2001) is a widely-used and psychometrically-robust self-report measure used to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms in adults during a two-week period.
Measured: 1 year
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale - Self Report Screener - Recent (C-SSRS).
To capture the severity and intensity of participants' SI and their corresponding suicide risk, we used items from the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale - Screen Version - Recent (C-SSRS; Posner et al, 2011).
Measured: 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Dec 2025
- Study start17 Oct 2014
- Primary completion26 Aug 2022
- Study completion26 Aug 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for SuicidalityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 47 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Compass Behavioral Health
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Megan Plakos Szabo, Compass Behavioral Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07256496
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Pro00078098
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 20 Nov 2025
- Last updated
- 1 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Plakos Szabo M, Neves SL, Huerta PL, Smoski MJ. Enhanced Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents: Impacts of Individualized Skills Coaching on Constructs of Suicidality. Evid Based Pract Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2026;11(3):474-490. doi: 10.1080/23794925.2026.2617586. Epub 2026 Jan 19.
PubMed 42847855
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Enhanced Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents: Impacts of Individualized Skills Coaching on Constructs of Suicidality
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07256496
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Pro00078098
- Conditions
- Suicidality
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 47 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Compass Behavioral HealthUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 17 Oct 2014 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 26 Aug 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 26 Aug 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Suicide is a leading cause of death and significant concerns for adolescents and young adults. Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) is an evidence-based intervention that effectively reduces life-threatening behaviors. Limited research examines the impact of adding individualized skills coaching sessions (ISCS) to the DBT-A model, a novel intervention referred to in this paper as "Enhanced DBT-A". This study evaluates the effectiveness of Enhanced DBT-A in reducing suicidality over 1 year of treatment in an outpatient and intensive outpatient setting.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced DBT-A Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Enhanced DBT-AParticipants engaged in Enhanced DBT-A services, including individual therapy, group skills training, phone coaching, and ISCS. Participants completed assessment batteries at intake, 6 months, and 1 year, and the outcome measures assessed participants' severity and intensity of suicidal ideation (SI), reasons for living, and depressive symptoms. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 13 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- appropriateness for Stage 1 DBT, completion of all assessments within the designated timeframe, a non-zero score on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) at intake, and participation in at least one ISCS between intake and 1 year from the first individual therapy session.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- presenting with active psychosis, a primary diagnosis of substance use, who did not consent to data collection, or who had a zero score on the C-SSRS at intake
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced DBT-AParticipants engaged in Enhanced DBT-A services, including individual therapy, group skills training, phone coaching, and ISCS. Participants completed assessment batteries at intake, 6 months, and 1 year, and the outcome measures assessed participants' severity and intensity of suicidal ideation (SI), reasons for living, and depressive symptoms. | Behavioural | Enhanced DBT-A Group |
Primary outcome
Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A)
Time frame: 1 year
The Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A; Osman et al, 1998) is a 32-item self-report questionnaire that assesses adaptive reasons that may prevent an adolescent from engaging in life-threatening behavior.
PHQ-9
Time frame: 1 year
The current study administered the PHQ-9 to participants 18 years and older. The PHQ-9 (Kroenke et al, 2001) is a widely-used and psychometrically-robust self-report measure used to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms in adults during a two-week period.
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale - Self Report Screener - Recent (C-SSRS).
Time frame: 1 year
To capture the severity and intensity of participants' SI and their corresponding suicide risk, we used items from the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale - Screen Version - Recent (C-SSRS; Posner et al, 2011).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Dec 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42847855Plakos Szabo M, Neves SL, Huerta PL, Smoski MJ. Enhanced Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents: Impacts of Individualized Skills Coaching on Constructs of Suicidality. Evid Based Pract Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2026;11(3):474-490. doi: 10.1080/23794925.2026.2617586. Epub 2026 Jan 19.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Enhanced DBT-A in people with Suicidality, run by Compass Behavioral Health at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A) (time frame: 1 year). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07256496, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Dec 2025.