Project SAVE was designed to help teens manage self-harm, especially for teens who are feeling negatively about themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this intervention designed for?
Project SAVE is designed for teens engaging in self-harm behavior, especially if they are dealing with self-dislike or self-hate.
How does this intervention help?
Project SAVE teaches how taking even small steps toward non-harmful coping can help you decrease self-harm and feel better over time.
What have we learned about this intervention so far?
565 teenagers with recent self-harm history were randomly given either Project SAVE, or a "control" program that reinforces talking about their emotions with others. Both programs took 30-minutes to complete in one sitting. Relative to "control" program teens, teens randomized to Project SAVE had short-term decreases in their self-hate and short-term increases in their desire to stop self-harming. 3 months after teens were randomized, there was no evidence that Project SAVE teens were experiencing less self-hate or less frequent self-harm than "control" program teens. In summary, Project SAVE may be best used as a short-term coping tool, especially for teens facing negative feelings about themselves associated with self-harm.
In a second study and partnership with Koko (a mental health non-profit: https://www.kokocares.org), an abbreviated ~8-minute version of Project SAVE was shared with young people who were searching for mental health-related keywords on Tumblr (e.g., "self-harm"). In 12 months, Project SAVE was viewed 4065 times, started 2961 times, and completed 1652 times. Teens gave Project SAVE a high "star" rating, on average (4.22 out of 5 stars). Similar to the results of our randomized trial, teenagers who completed Project SAVE experienced short-term decreases in self-hate and short-term increases in desire to stop future self-harm. In summary, a much-shortened version of Project SAVE can reach many young people looking for relevant content online. It may be helpful for teens in the short-term, even when encountered in real world settings outside of randomized trials.
Where can I try out this intervention?
Slides for the 30-minute version of Project SAVE are available on the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/vguf4. The 8-minute version of Project SAVE is available from Koko: https://r.kokocares.org/referral/self-harm.
How do I cite this intervention?
Dobias, M.L., Schleider, J.L., & Fox, K.R. (2020). Project SAVE: Stop Adolescent Violence Everywhere. Open Science Framework. doi: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/WFDZP.
Where can I access these intervention materials for research purposes?
Visit our Open Science Framework Page here.
Project SAVE is designed for teens engaging in self-harm behavior, especially if they are dealing with self-dislike or self-hate.
How does this intervention help?
Project SAVE teaches how taking even small steps toward non-harmful coping can help you decrease self-harm and feel better over time.
What have we learned about this intervention so far?
565 teenagers with recent self-harm history were randomly given either Project SAVE, or a "control" program that reinforces talking about their emotions with others. Both programs took 30-minutes to complete in one sitting. Relative to "control" program teens, teens randomized to Project SAVE had short-term decreases in their self-hate and short-term increases in their desire to stop self-harming. 3 months after teens were randomized, there was no evidence that Project SAVE teens were experiencing less self-hate or less frequent self-harm than "control" program teens. In summary, Project SAVE may be best used as a short-term coping tool, especially for teens facing negative feelings about themselves associated with self-harm.
In a second study and partnership with Koko (a mental health non-profit: https://www.kokocares.org), an abbreviated ~8-minute version of Project SAVE was shared with young people who were searching for mental health-related keywords on Tumblr (e.g., "self-harm"). In 12 months, Project SAVE was viewed 4065 times, started 2961 times, and completed 1652 times. Teens gave Project SAVE a high "star" rating, on average (4.22 out of 5 stars). Similar to the results of our randomized trial, teenagers who completed Project SAVE experienced short-term decreases in self-hate and short-term increases in desire to stop future self-harm. In summary, a much-shortened version of Project SAVE can reach many young people looking for relevant content online. It may be helpful for teens in the short-term, even when encountered in real world settings outside of randomized trials.
Where can I try out this intervention?
Slides for the 30-minute version of Project SAVE are available on the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/vguf4. The 8-minute version of Project SAVE is available from Koko: https://r.kokocares.org/referral/self-harm.
How do I cite this intervention?
Dobias, M.L., Schleider, J.L., & Fox, K.R. (2020). Project SAVE: Stop Adolescent Violence Everywhere. Open Science Framework. doi: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/WFDZP.
Where can I access these intervention materials for research purposes?
Visit our Open Science Framework Page here.
Publications
*Dobias, M. L., Schleider, J. L., Jans, L., & Fox, K. R. (2021). An online, single-session intervention for adolescent self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: Results from a randomized trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 147, 103983. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2021.103983.
Dobias, M. L., Morris, R. R., & Schleider, J. L. (2022). Single-session interventions embedded within Tumblr: Acceptability, feasibility, and utility study. JMIR Formative Research, 6(7), e39004, doi: 10.2196/39004.
*Randomized-controlled trials
Dobias, M. L., Morris, R. R., & Schleider, J. L. (2022). Single-session interventions embedded within Tumblr: Acceptability, feasibility, and utility study. JMIR Formative Research, 6(7), e39004, doi: 10.2196/39004.
*Randomized-controlled trials