An observational study in Suicide Prevention, User Experience and Suicide, sponsored by University Ghent. Recruiting at 1 site in Belgium. Open to participants aged 16 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-17.
Sponsored by University Ghent · Observational
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.
186 studies on the registry are indexed under Suicide Prevention; 92 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 373 is above the median of 320 across 16 observational studies indexed under Suicide Prevention.
Browse Suicide Prevention studies →University Ghent is the lead sponsor of 350 studies on the registry; 86 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
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.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
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
Observational one-time questionnaire study without intervention
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.
Time frame: Pre- and post-measurement (immediately before and after the chat conversation)
User Satisfaction with the chat conversation.
During the post-measurement (immediately after the chat conversation), participants are asked about their satisfaction with the chat, their experiences regarding understanding and any additional comments they wish to share.
Time frame: Post-measurement (immediately after the chat conversation)
Socio-demographic data
Participants will be asked to provide the following demographic information: gender identity and age
Time frame: pre-measurement (immediately before the chat conversation)
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
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