Evaluation of the Quality of Chat Conversations With the Suicide Helpline Zelfmoordlijn 1813

NCT07176156 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: ONZ-2025-0321
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 373
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Suicide remains a serious public health issue in Flanders. Every day, nearly three people die by suicide, and many more attempt it or struggle with suicidal thoughts. The Zelfmoordlijn 1813 is a free and confidential helpline that offers support to people in crisis through phone, chat, and email. In 2024, volunteers had over 23,000 conversations, including nearly 3,000 via chat. This study, led by the Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (VLESP) in collaboration with the Centre for Suicide Prevention (CPZ), aims to better understand how people experience the chat service of the Zelfmoordlijn 1813. While previous research has looked at the impact of phone conversations, little is known about how chat conversations affect suicidal thoughts and feelings. To explore this, people who contact the chat service will be invited to fill out a short questionnaire before and after their conversation. These questionnaires take about 3 minutes each and are completely voluntary. They ask about feelings like hopelessness, crisis, and perceived support, as well as satisfaction with the chat. The goal is to improve the quality of chat-based crisis support and ensure that people in emotional distress receive the best possible help. This research will help strengthen suicide prevention efforts in Flanders.

Conditions

Suicide Prevention; User Experience; Suicide; Suicidal Ideation

Keywords

suicide prevention; suicide; suicidal ideation; helpline

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Changes in Suicidality

  Suicidality is assessed using six key indicators: crisis, hopelessness, helplessness, sense of control, intent to die, and perceived social support. These indicators are measured through short online questionnaires administered before and after the chat conversation with the Suicide Line 1813. This set of indicators was selected based on prior research into the effectiveness of suicide prevention helplines and core concepts regarding suicidality.

  Pre- and post-measurement (immediately before and after the chat conversation)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• User Satisfaction with the chat conversation.

  Post-measurement (immediately after the chat conversation)

Other Outcomes (1)

• Socio-demographic data

  pre-measurement (immediately before the chat conversation)

Study Arms (1)

Users of the Zelfmoord1813 chat service

Participants in this study are individuals who contact the chat service of the Zelfmoordlijn 1813 and meet the following criteria: * They are 16 years or older * They are chatting on their own behalf (not for someone else) Participation is entirely voluntary. Before and after the chat conversation, eligible participants are invited to complete a short questionnaire to help researchers understand how the chat affects their emotional state and suicidal thoughts.

Other: No intervention

Interventions

No intervention OTHER

Observational one-time questionnaire study without intervention

Users of the Zelfmoord1813 chat service

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants contact the chat service of the helpline Zelfmoordlijn 1813 regarding their suicidality. Participants in the study are recruited via the Zelfmoordlijn 1813's digital chat system. Only chat-users for whom an operator is available at that moment are given the opportunity to participate in the study.

You may qualify if:

• being at least 16 years of age
• they are chatting on their own behalf (not for someone else)

You may not qualify if:

• indication that they do not meet these criteria or are not interested in the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Ghent: lead

Study Sites (1)

Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention, Ghent University

Ghent, East-Flanders, 9000, Belgium

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Suicide Prevention; Suicide; Suicidal Ideation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Self-Injurious Behavior; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Gwendolyn Portzky, PhD

  Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (Ghent University)

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Eva De Jaegere, PhD

CONTACT

+3293320775; eva.dejaegere@ugent.be

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE ONLY
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 8, 2025
• First Posted: September 16, 2025
• Study Start: September 23, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Last Updated: September 16, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

BE (1)