ArticleJMIR formative research2022
Use of a Mobile Peer Support App Among Young People With Nonsuicidal Self-injury: Small-scale Randomized Controlled Trial.
Article in JMIR formative research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effects of digital peer support interventions on physical and mental health: a review and meta-analysis.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2025Pooled it
- The Journey From Nonimmersive to Immersive Multiuser Applications in Mental Health Care: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Mobile applications in adolescent psychotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2024Pooled it
- Impact of mobile health interventions for mental health literacy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for self-harm in males compared to females: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2026Article
- Effectiveness and Experiences of Online Mental Health Peer Support for Young People: Systematic Scoping Review.JMIR mental health · 2026Review
- The chain mediating role of emotion dysregulation and non-suicidal self-injury in the relationship between cyber-victimization and suicidal ideation among college students.Australian journal of psychology · 2026Article
- Framing Helper Therapy to Support User Engagement: Causal Evidence from a Public Deployment of a Mental Health Support Text Messaging Program.Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. CHI Conference · 2026Article
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of adverse events in clinical trials of mental health apps.NPJ digital medicine · 2024Article
- Views on the Functionality and Use of the PeerConnect App Among Public Safety Personnel: Qualitative Analysis.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
- Young Adults' Perceptions of 2 Publicly Available Digital Resources for Self-injury: Qualitative Study of a Peer Support App and Web-Based Factsheets.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
- Views on the usability and usefulness of the PeerConnect app among Ontario public safety professionals.Digital healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundNonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a widespread behavior among adolescents and young adults. Although many individuals who self-injure do not seek treatment, there is evidence for web-based help-seeking through web-based communities and mobile peer support networks. However, few studies have rigorously tested the efficacy of such platforms on outcomes relevant for NSSI recovery.
objectiveThe aim of this small-scale preregistered randomized controlled trial is to provide preliminary insight into the shorter- and longer-term efficacy of the use of a peer support app, TalkLife, in reducing NSSI frequency and urges and increasing readiness to change. In addition, we explore contact with informal support, interest in therapy, and attitudes toward professional help-seeking.
methodsIndividuals aged 16-25 years with current (within 3 months) and chronic (>6 episodes in the past year) NSSI history were eligible to participate in this study. After baseline assessments, the intervention group was instructed to use the app actively (eg, post or comment at least three times per week) and the control group received weekly psychoeducational materials through email, for 8 weeks. Follow-up was assessed at 1 month and 2 months. Linear mixed modeling was used to evaluate condition and time point effects for the primary outcomes of NSSI frequency and urges, readiness to change, contact with informal support, interest in therapy, and attitudes toward professional help-seeking.
resultsA total of 131 participants were included in the analysis. We evidenced a significant effect of condition on NSSI frequency such that the participants using the peer support app self-injured less over the course of the study (mean 1.30, SE 0.18) than those in the control condition (mean 1.62, SE 0.18; P=.02; η
conclusionsUse of the peer support app was related to reduced NSSI frequency and greater confidence in one's ability to change NSSI behavior over the course of the study period, but no effects on NSSI urges, contact with informal support, interest in therapy, or attitudes toward professional help-seeking were observed. The findings provide preliminary support for considering the use of mobile peer support apps as a supplement to NSSI intervention and point to the need for larger-scale trials.
trial registrationOpen Science Foundation; https://osf.io/3uay9.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.