Suicide is one of the main causes of death among teenagers. Yet, many young people don’t get the mental health care they need when they are struggling.
One big reason is that teens often avoid in-person help. They may be afraid of what others will think, unsure how to get help, or worried that asking for support will automatically involve their parents or guardians. Because of these fears, many teens don’t get help until things have gotten very serious.
A research team led by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center wanted to find out if there was a faster, easier way to help teens in crisis. They studied a method called crisis response planning, or CRP.
This is a short, one-time mental health session that helps people create a plan to manage suicidal thoughts. CRP has already been proven to work well for adults, but until now, researchers weren’t sure if it would help teenagers too.
In this study, published in the journal Behavior Therapy, the team tested whether single-session suicide prevention plans were safe, helpful, and easy to use for teens. They also looked at whether teens preferred talking to someone in person or using a virtual or chat-based method.
The study included 51 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 who had recently had suicidal thoughts. Each teen was randomly placed into one of three groups. One group did a chat-based crisis response session with a mental health provider.
The second group did the same session in person. The third group used a virtual self-guided safety planning tool, which acted as the control group.
After the sessions, researchers asked the teens how they felt about the intervention. They also measured the teens’ suicidal thoughts before and two weeks after the sessions. This was done using standard mental health tools, including the Ask Suicide Screening Questions and the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation.
The results were encouraging. All three methods were found to be practical and acceptable. But the teens who took part in the chat-based session reported higher satisfaction. They said it was easy to use, and they were more likely to use their personalized crisis plan afterward.
In fact, about 40% of all teens in the study—no matter which group they were in—said they no longer had suicidal thoughts two weeks after the session. This suggests that even a single session can help reduce suicidal thinking in teens.
Dr. Stephanie Gorka, the lead researcher on the study, said the way help is given matters a lot for teens. Many young people feel more comfortable using text or online chat, and these formats can make it easier for them to open up. When teens feel safe and not judged, they are more likely to use tools that help them deal with stress and stay safe.
The research team included scientists from Ohio State, Penn State University, and the University of Illinois Chicago. They believe that virtual or chat-based suicide prevention tools could become a powerful way to reach teens earlier—before their mental health becomes a crisis.
Looking at the study findings, it is clear that how mental health support is delivered is just as important as the support itself. Chat-based and online methods may be more suitable for teens, who often prefer digital communication over face-to-face conversations.
These findings open the door to new ways of helping young people get the care they need—quickly, safely, and in ways that feel right for them.
By making support more accessible and youth-friendly, we can reduce the number of teens who suffer in silence. A simple chat session, when done the right way, could be a life-saving step in helping a teen feel seen, supported, and safe.
If you care about depression, please read studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies that ultra-processed foods may make you feel depressed, and extra-virgin olive oil could reduce depression symptoms.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
