AzTrials
AzTrials

Nonsuicidal Self-InjuryNCT07573085

Internet-delivered Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy or Adolescents (IERITA) With Self-injury Within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

A study testing Adaptable IERITA, Standard IERITA and Treatment as usual in people with Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Self-Harm, run by Karolinska Institutet at 1 site in Sweden.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The overall purpose of the study is to implement and evaluate IERITA (Internet-delivered Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy for Adolescents) within child and adolescent mental health services for adolescents engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and optimize treatment outcomes for those adolescents at risk of… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 13 to 17 years
Conditions the study is for
Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Self-Harm
What is being tested?
Adaptable IERITA, Standard IERITA and Treatment as usual
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
341 participants
Where
1 siteSweden
Study dates
22 May 2026to Dec 2040
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 17 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • 13-17 years old
  • At least one self-injury episode in the past three months
  • A parent willing to engage in the parent program

Who cannot join

  • Immediate suicide risk
  • Global functioning corresponding to a rating ≤40 of the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS)
  • Social problems needing immediate intervention (e.g., violence within the family)
  • Ongoing dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Olivia Ojala, PhD contact

+46761426565

olivia.ojala@ki.se

Johan Bjureberg, PhD contact

+460852480000

johan.bjureberg@ki.se

Sweden1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Karolinska Institutet

    Stockholm, 113 64

    Johan Bjureberg, PhD, +460852480000, johan.bjureberg@ki.se

    Johan Bjureberg, PhD

    Recruiting

Other trials in Sweden

About this study

The overall purpose of the study is to implement and evaluate IERITA (Internet-delivered Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy for Adolescents) within child and adolescent mental health services for adolescents engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and optimize treatment outcomes for those adolescents at risk of non-remission (continued NSSI).

Read the detailed description

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a growing and urgent global health crisis among youth. It is associated with substantial individual and societal costs, including increased risk of suicide attempts. Scalable and evidence-based treatments are needed but lacking. Digital interventions can be one promising solution. A recent study shows that a novel brief digital treatment, IERITA, can be efficacious compared to treatment as usual only. However, not all respond sufficiently to standardized treatment, such as IERITA, and continued NSSI entails risks and suffering.

In this randomized controlled trial, participants will be randomly allocated (1:1) to standard IERITA or adaptable IERITA. All participants will first receive standard IERITA for four weeks. In treatment week four, or earlier if the adolescent is at risk of discontinuation, classification of non-remission/remission will be conducted. Adolescents allocated to adaptable IERITA and classified as likely non-remission, will change to adapted IERITA (e.g., personalized dose and delivery of treatment) for the remaining weeks (until week 12) while all other participants will continue with standard IERITA. Data will be collected pre-treatment, during treatment, post-treatment, one- three- and twelve-month post-treatment, and in public registers up to ten years post-treatment. The primary endpoint is one-month post-treatment.

The primary aim is to evaluate efficacy of an adaptable treatment strategy for adolescents at risk of non-remission. Secondary aims include implementation, cost-effectiveness, moderators and predictors, distal effects, algorithm performance, and psychometrical evaluations. The specific objectives are:

PRIMARY AIM

  1. Determine the efficacy of adaptable IERITA compared to standard IERITA for adolescents at risk of non-remission at one-month post-treatment (primary endpoint) and to assess the durability of effects at three-month follow-up SECONDARY AIMS
  2. Determine the cost-effectiveness of adaptable IERITA compared to a standard IERITA.
  3. Explore the implementation (reach, satisfaction, adherence, level and type of resources, utility) of IERITA in child and adolescent mental health services care.
  4. Investigate predictors and moderators of treatment outcome.
  5. Evaluate distal outcomes and long-term effects of adaptable IERITA compared to a standard IERITA.
  6. Explore the experience of being an IERITA therapist.
  7. Evaluate the performance of the algorithm predicting treatment non-remission.
  8. Evaluate the psychometric properties of the Deliberate Self-harm Inventory - Youth version (DSHI-Y).
  9. Evaluate the agreement between self- and assessor-rated NSSI.

Statistical plan is found at: https://osf.io/6h7fe/overview

This project is sponsored by the Swedish Research Council (number 2024-03122), Fonden för Psykisk Hälsa, Stiftelsen Söderströmska Königska (number SLS-1031985), and Thuring Foundation (2025-186).

Being tested
Adaptable IERITA, Standard IERITA, Treatment as usual
Keywords
Nonsuicidal self-injury, Internet-delivered treatment, Self-harm, Adolescence
Medical subject headings
Self-Injurious Behavior

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Adaptable IERITABehavioural

    IERITA is a 12-week acceptance-based behavioral therapy. The goal is to reduce self-injury through learning and using other ways to regulate emotions. IERITA includes modules where the participants can read text, watch videos, listen to audio, and message their allocated therapists. The adolescent treatment is 11 modules, and the parent course is six. Both adolescents and parents receive separate asynchronous online therapist support.

    In the adapted IERITA intervention, the therapists develop an individual case conceptualization that forms the basis for a brief interview with the adolescent after the classification phase (from randomization to treatment week four), during which potential obstacles and necessary adaptations are explored. Adaption can entail scheduled or regular chats or videoconferences, selecting specific material to focus on, and involving additional support persons. The adapted IERITA intervention is offered after the classification phase until treatment week 12.

  • Standard IERITABehavioural

    IERITA is a 12-week acceptance-based behavioral therapy. The goal is to reduce self-injury through learning and using other ways to regulate emotions. IERITA includes modules where the participants can read text, watch videos, listen to audio, and message their allocated therapists. The adolescent treatment is 11 modules, and the parent course is six. Both adolescents and parents receive separate asynchronous online therapist support.

  • Treatment as usualOther

    Participants are free to any receive regular care (i.e., psychosocial treatment, medications, or a combination of both) as needed during the trial.

Study groups in NCT07573085
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Adaptable Internet-delivered emotion regulation individual therapy adjunctive to treatment as usualExperimentalParticipants will receive Internet-delivered Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy (IERITA) for 12 weeks. Adolescents allocated to experimental arm and classified as likely non-remission, will change to adapted IERITA in treatment week four (or earlier if the adolescent is at risk of discontinuation). Adolescents allocated to experimental arm and classified as likely remission will continue standard IERITA. In addition to IERITA, participants are free to will receive any type of treatment as usual for 12 weeks as provided in the community.
Receives: Behavioral: Adaptable IERITA; Other: Treatment as usual
Standard Internet-delivered emotion regulation individual therapy adjunctive to treatment as usualActive comparatorParticipants will receive Internet-delivered Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy (IERITA) for 12 weeks. All participants will continue standard IERITA throughout the treatment period. In addition to IERITA, participants are free to will receive any type of treatment as usual for 12 weeks as provided in the community.
Receives: Behavioral: Standard IERITA; Other: Treatment as usual

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Deliberate Self-harm Inventory - Youth version (DSHI-Y)

    The DSHI-Y measures the frequency of the most common NSSI behaviors. The primary outcome will be the proportion of treatment remission. Remission will be defined as the absence of self-injury the past 30 days. The primary outcome measure will be the clinician-rated DSHI-Y. In cases where clinician ratings are unavailable, the self-rated DSHI-Y will be used.

    Measured: One-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment

Secondary outcomes (8)
  1. Deliberate Self-harm Inventory - Youth version (DSHI-Y)

    The DSHI-Y measures the frequency of the most common NSSI behaviors. Change in NSSI frequency from baseline to respective follow-up will be a secondary outcome. The primary outcome measure will be the clinician-rated DSHI-Y. In cases where clinician ratings are unavailable, the self-rated DSHI-Y will be used.

    Measured: Baseline, one-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment

  2. Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS)

    The CGAS measures global functioning on a single item ranging from 1 to 100, with a higher value indicating better functioning. Clinician-rated.

    Measured: Baseline, one-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment

  3. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - 16 item version (DERS-16)

    The DERS-16 measures difficulties in emotion regulation. The total score ranges from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater difficulties. Self-rated (adolescent and parent).

    Measured: Baseline, one-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment

  4. Child Health Utility 9D (CHU-9D)

    The CHU-9D measures health related quality of life. The scale has 9 items with a summary score between 9 and 45, where a higher score indicates greater health-related quality of life. Self-rated (adolescent).

    Measured: Baseline, one-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment

  5. Borderline symtom checklist supplement (BSL)

    The BSL supplement measures the frequency of self-destructive behaviors. We will measure behaviors of self-harm, suicide attempt, binge eating, self-induced vomiting, high-risk activities, getting drunk, substance use, medication misuse, outbreaks of anger/physical attacks and impulsive/shameful sexual encounters, resulting in a total score between 0 to 40 where a higher score indicates greater frequency of self-destructive behaviors. Self-rated (adolescent).

    Measured: Baseline, one-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment

  6. The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Short Version (RCADS-25)

    The RCADS-25 measures symptoms of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents. This version has 25 items with a total score between 0 and 75, with higher scores indicating greater levels of symptoms. Self-rated (adolescent).

    Measured: Baseline, one-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment

  7. The Coping with Children's Negative Emotions Scale Adolescent Version (CCNES-A)

    The CCNES-A measures parental coping in response to adolescents' negative emotions. The CCNES-A consists of nine hypothetical scenarios accompanied by six types of responses (i.e., emotion focused, problem-focused, minimization, punitive, expressive encouragement, and distress responses). Separate summary scores are calculated per subscale (type of response) and ranges from 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater usage of a certain parental coping style. Self-rated (parent and adolescent).

    Measured: Baseline, one-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment

  8. Trimbos/iMTA questionnaire for Costs associated with Psychiatric illness (TIC-P)

    The TIC-P measures healthcare and societal resource use, including for example items on healthcare resource use, medications, school absenteeism, and parental productivity loss. Self-rated (parent).

    Measured: Baseline, one-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted7 May 2026
  2. Study start22 May 2026
  3. Primary completionDec 2029 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2040 (estimated)

Resources

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
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
341 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07573085
Sponsor's protocol ID
2024-04650-01
Status last verified
May 2026
First submitted
25 Apr 2026
Last updated
8 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: The data is pseudonymized in accordance with Swedish and European Union laws and cannot be anonymized and published in an open repository. Study participants have consented to sharing their data with international researchers for meta-analyses. Aggregated data can be provided upon reasonable request on a case-by-case basis in compliance with current legislation and ethical permits.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Adaptable IERITA, Standard IERITA and Treatment as usual in people with Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Self-Harm, run by Karolinska Institutet at 1 site in Sweden.

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 3 inclusion and 4 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Jun 2026. 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 Sweden. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Olivia Ojala, PhD (+46761426565, olivia.ojala@ki.se), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Deliberate Self-harm Inventory - Youth version (DSHI-Y) (time frame: One-, three- and twelve-months post-treatment). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 8 Jun 2026.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in