Recruiting

Motivational Interviewing

Sponsor:

San Diego State University

Code:

NCT07639736

Conditions

Implementation Research

Help Seeking

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 13+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Motivational Interviewing Training

Study Details

Brief summary:

The proposed study will establish a foundation for research within peer-delivered helplines for teens. It aims to evaluate the impact of a Motivational Interviewing training at peer-to-peer helpline. The study will leverage emerging technologies to surmount the challenges of providing tailored training to a large and diverse mental health workforce at scale.

Aim 1: Adapt Motivational Interviewing (MI) strategies for use in a teen peer-delivered text-based digital helpline.

Aim 2: Co-design performance feedback (PF) and facilitated practice (FP) processes to support MI adherence among peer helpers.

Aim 3: Examine feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcomes in a pilot feasibility trial. Peer helpers (N=50) will be randomized to receive MI training or MI training + PF-FP.

Conditions

Implementation Research

Help Seeking

Study ID

NCT07639736

Start date

Aug 28, 2025

Status verified date

Jun, 2026

Completion date

Oct 31, 2029

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Oct 31, 2029

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 13+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria

Teen Helpers

  • Current helpline peer helpers
  • Aged 14-19 years.
  • Provides assent and documented parental consent (when applicable).
  • Completes study measures prior to the first Motivational Interviewing (MI) training session.
  • Attends and completes assigned MI training activities.
  • Has access to technology required for online participation (computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access; videoconferencing capability if needed).
  • Plans to continue helpline activities throughout the study period.

Teen Users

  • Aged 13-19 years.
  • Current U.S. resident.
  • Has engaged in at least 20 back-and-forth text exchanges with a helpline volunteer.
  • Demonstrates active communication and engagement on the helpline platform.
  • Has access to technology required to complete online surveys and, if selected, interviews (computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access).

Exclusion Criteria

Teen Helpers

\- Plans to discontinue helpline activities within the next 8 months.

Teen Users

  • Identified as currently experiencing acute suicide risk (i.e., assigned a "high-risk" flag by the helpline algorithm or identified as high risk by helpline staff).
  • Requires immediate crisis intervention or emergency services that could be disrupted by participation in the research study.

Study Design

Enrollment

206 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Health Services Research

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Performance feedback and facilitated practice

Helpline volunteers randomized into this study arm will receive additional MI training through feedback and practice (they will receive standard helpline training and MI training).

no intervention: Training as usual

Helpline volunteers randomized into this study arm will not receive additional MI training through feedback or practice (they will receive standard helpline training only).

Interventions

Motivational Interviewing Training

All participants will receive Motivational Interviewing training through an educational workshop. Participants in the intervention arm will receive performance feedback and facilitated practice (implementation strategy). Those in the control arm will receive training as usual.

Primary outcome measure

  • General Help Seeking Questionnaire [ Time Frame: 11 months (consent to post 6-month follow up) ]
  • Patient Health Questionnaire-8 [ Time Frame: 11 months (consent to post 6-month follow up) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Locations

San Diego State University

Recruiting

San Diego, California, United States, 92182-8000

Contacts

Sylvanna M. Vargas, MPH, PhD

3057614632svargas3@sdsu.edu

More Information

Sponsor

San Diego State University

Last update posted

Jun 25, 2026

Last verified

Jun, 2026

Keywords

  • Adolescent mental health
  • Implementation Science
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Mental health helplines

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by San Diego State University on 2026-06-25.