Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42389949›Full record

Trial reportSuicide & life-threatening behavior2026

A Randomized Controlled Trial With an Internal Pilot of a Co-Designed App Targeting Upstream Suicide-Related Risk and Protective Factors Among International Students.

Samuel McKay, Christina Ng, Jennifer Nicholas, Vivienne Browne, Gina Chinnery, Isabella Choi, Bailey Nation-Ingle, Kristal Allison, Ella Perlow, Michelle Lamblin and 6 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Suicide & life-threatening behavior, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Samuel McKayOrygen, Parkville, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2700-5285
Christina NgOrygen, Parkville, Australia.
Jennifer NicholasOrygen, Parkville, Australia.
Vivienne BrowneOrygen, Parkville, Australia.
Gina ChinneryOrygen, Parkville, Australia.
Isabella ChoiSydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Bailey Nation-IngleVictorian Department of Health, Victorian Government, Suicide Prevention and Response Office, Melbourne, Australia.
Kristal AllisonVictorian Department of Health, Victorian Government, Suicide Prevention and Response Office, Melbourne, Australia.
Ella PerlowVictorian Department of Health, Victorian Government, Suicide Prevention and Response Office, Melbourne, Australia.
Michelle LamblinOrygen, Parkville, Australia.
Elise CarrotteOrygen, Parkville, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6929-0291
Ellie BrownOrygen, Parkville, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1645-5443
Gregory ArmstrongCentre for Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8073-9213
Jocelyn I MezaDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Madhavan ManiThriver Consulting, Moggill, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3384-8070
Jo RobinsonOrygen, Parkville, Australia.

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant ID2008460Suicide Prevention Australia Innovation GrantUniversity of Melbourne DameKateCampbellFellowshipUniversity of Melbourne Early Career Researcher GrantUniversity of Melbourne RonaldPhilipGriffithFellowshipVictorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions Study Melbourne Inclusion Program Grant
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInternational students frequently report suicidal thoughts, yet often do not access support. Bud is a co-designed, self-guided mobile app developed as an upstream suicide-prevention intervention targeting transdiagnostic mechanisms related to suicide risk.

aimTo evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability, engagement, and safety of Bud compared with an active and structured psychoeducational comparator. MATERIALS AND

methodsA two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted with international students in Australia. Participants were randomized 1:1 to Bud (n = 156) or psychoeducational fact sheets (n = 156), completing assessments at baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks. The primary outcome was psychological distress (K10). Secondary outcomes included help-seeking intentions, interpersonal risk processes, emotion regulation, suicidal ideation, and mental health literacy. Analyses used intention-to-treat mixed-effects models.

resultsContrary to the hypotheses, psychological distress decreased from baseline to 4 weeks (Bud: -2.23; Comparator: -2.15), with no group × time interaction (F(2,342.45) = 0.43, p = 0.652); emotion regulation and suicidal ideation showed similar patterns across groups, and other secondary outcomes remained stable across groups. As expected, Bud was rated as enjoyable, worthwhile, and usable. Engagement was moderate (median 10 activities), and no iatrogenic effects occurred.

conclusionBud was feasible, acceptable, and safe but did not outperform an active psychoeducational comparator over 4 weeks.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ACTRN12625000584437.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsPsychological DistressStudentsSuicidal IdeationSuicide PreventionAdolescentAdultAustraliaEmotional RegulationFemaleHelp-Seeking BehaviorHumansMalePilot ProjectsProtective FactorsYoung Adultemotion regulationforeign studentshelp‐seekingmobile healthself‐guided interventiontransdiagnostic mechanisms

Identifiers

PMID42389949
PMCPMC13324967

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.