Flourish in Schools Pilot Study for Cyberbullied Youth

This study is testing a program called Flourish, which uses text messages and a website to help young people aged 11 to 21 who have experienced cyberbullying and are at risk for suicide. The goal is to see if Flourish can be successfully used in schools and if it helps improve how students cope and reduces their thoughts of suicide. Researchers will look at how many students join and stay in the study, and how often they use Flourish. They also want to see if students report feeling better emotionally and have fewer suicidal thoughts over a three-month period. The study is currently unclear on its recruitment status and plans to enroll 20 participants.

Study design: This is an interventional pilot study with a planned enrollment of 20 participants. It is not specified if it is randomized or blinded.
What's involved: You would participate in four assessment visits: at the start, and at 2, 4, and 12 weeks. The Flourish program itself lasts for 4 weeks.
Compensation: Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up: Participants will be followed for 12 weeks after starting the study intervention.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

Flourish in Schools Pilot Study

Recruiting

NAAges 11–21InterventionalPrevention

Candice Biernesser

~20 participants

Updated 2026-04-01 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What's tested:Flourish

At a glance

Recruiting sites

2 of 2 listed sites are recruiting right now

RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open

What they're measuring

Recruitment rates of eligible participants

Measured over Assessed upon recruitment to the study

+2 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Psychological Distress

Suicidal Ideation

Where it's being run

2 sites across 2 states

Ohio1

Pennsylvania1

Study leadership

Candice L Biernesser, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Pittsburgh

Who to contact

Candice L Biernesser, PhD

[email protected]

412-586-9064

Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

11-21 years old

English-speaking

have access to a cell phone or tablet that can send/receive SMS text messages

identified as a student who could benefit from the program by a school staff member - OR - screened eligible based on experiencing cyberbullying and suicide risk factors in the past 3 months

past 3-month history of cyberbullying assessed by the cybervictimization subscale of the Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization Scale and/or presence of online discrimination as measured by a modified measure from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD study)

past 3-month history of suicide risk factors, assessed by: psychological distress (\>13 on the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale) and/or suicidal ideation or behavior (via the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale)

Exclusion

if a student has a condition that might inhibit their ability to effectively engage with Flourish (e.g., intellectual challenges or low literacy levels)

if a students' level of acuity would suggest a higher level of care or referral to emergency services

if a school staff judges the intervention is not appropriate for the student

What this trial measures

Recruitment rates of eligible participantsAssessed upon recruitment to the study
Feasibility will be measured through recruitment rates of eligible participants, using a cut-off score of 80% for desirable recruitment rates.
Retention rates of eligible participantsAssessed upon completion of the Week 12 study visits
Feasibility will be measured through retention rates of eligible participants, using a cut-off score of 80% for desirable retention rates across the 12-week study period.
Level of intervention usageAssessed upon completion of the 4-week intervention period
Usage of the intervention will be assessed by engagement with Flourish at least weekly, on average, during the study period. A cut-off score of 70% of youth using the intervention at least weekly will be used as a minimum requirement for acceptable usage.

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