TY  - JOUR
AU  - Stallard, Paul
AU  - Porter, Joanna
AU  - Grist, Rebecca
PY  - 2016
DA  - 2016/11/16
TI  - Safety, Acceptability, and Use of a Smartphone App, BlueIce, for Young People Who Self-Harm: Protocol for an Open Phase I Trial
JO  - JMIR Res Protoc
SP  - e217
VL  - 5
IS  - 4
KW  - self-harm
KW  - smartphone app
KW  - BlueIce
KW  - adolescents
KW  - CBT
KW  - DBT
AB  - Background: Up to 18% of adolescents will engage in an act of self-harm before young adulthood, with the majority of acts occurring in private. Mobile apps may offer a way of providing support for young people at times of distress to prevent self-harm. Objective: This is a proof-of-concept study designed to explore the safety, acceptability, feasibility, and usability of a smartphone app, BlueIce, with young people who are self-harming. Methods: In this phase I open trial we will evaluate BlueIce, a smartphone app developed and coproduced with young people with lived experience of self-harm. BlueIce includes a mood-monitoring diary, selection of mood-lifting techniques based on cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, and direct access to emergency telephone numbers. We will recruit young people (n=50) attending specialist child and adolescent mental health services with a current or past history of self-harm to trial BlueIce as an adjunct to their usual care. Questionnaires and interviews will be completed at baseline, postfamiliarization (2 weeks), and at follow-up (12 weeks after baseline) to assess safety, app use, and acceptability. Interviews will be undertaken with clinicians to assess the feasibility of BlueIce within a clinical setting. Results: Recruitment occurred between May and November 2016. The recruitment target was 50, and by the beginning of November 54 young people had been referred. Conclusions: This study is the first to evaluate an app specifically developed with young people for young people (under the age of 18 years) who self-harm. It will determine whether BlueIce is acceptable, how often it is used, and whether it is safe and does not have any unintentional adverse effects. This information will determine whether a feasibility trial to test recruitment, randomization, retention, and appropriate outcome measures should be pursued. 
SN  - 1929-0748
UR  - http://www.researchprotocols.org/2016/4/e217/
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/resprot.6525
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27852560
DO  - 10.2196/resprot.6525
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/resprot.6525
ER  -