Improving uptake of mental health crisis resources: Randomized test of a single-session intervention embedded in social media

Young people often experience difficulties accessing mental health support. In moments of crisis, many young people search for mental health-related information or support on social media platforms. When users search or post crisis-related content (e.g., “suicide”) on these platforms, many are programmed to automatically provide the user with crisis hotlines. Little research has examined whether young people use crisis hotlines when they are automatically shared, or whether other resource-provision strategies may better support hope and help-seeking.

Methods

Users flagged as being potentially in-crisis by social media platforms were referred to Koko—a nonprofit that partners with online platforms to provide crisis support. Users were randomized to receive either a typical crisis response (988 crisis hotline provision) or a one-minute, enhanced crisis response Single-Session Intervention (SSI).

Results

Users who received the enhanced crisis response SSI reported greater decreases in hopelessness ten minutes later, compared to users who received the typical crisis response (t(153) = -2.16, p = 0.03, d = -0.35; 95 % CI, −0.67, −0.03). Users who received the SSI were more than twice as likely to report using the resources provided to them, compared to users who received the typical crisis response (78.02 % vs 38.64 %; χ2(1) = 27.02, p < 0.001, V = 0.28).

Conclusion

An enhanced crisis response SSI embedded within social media platforms can reduce users’ hopelessness and dramatically increase young people’s odds of accessing mental health resources in moments of crisis.