Blended Unified Protocol in Chinese Adolescents With Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

This study utilizes the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A) to address non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents. This program is an annualized cognitive-behavioral therapy designed for adolescents aged 12-17 years who engage in non-suicidal self-injury behavior. Its primary goal is to reduce the intensity and frequency of distressing emotional experiences by teaching adolescents how to confront and respond to these emotions in more adaptive ways. In turn, this helps reduce self-injury impulses and behaviors. The UP-A is adapted to the Chinese cultural context and delivered as a blended treatment, combining face-to-face and online sessions. The study will assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of this intervention through a single-arm design, which includes pretest, posttest, and follow-up assessments.

The blended UP-A includes 8 weekly modules, 6 of which (Module 2 - 7)are online self-guided sessions. The online self-guided sessions will last approximately 45 minutes each. Over the course of these 6 weeks, participants will also have 6 therapist-guided online sessions via videoconference, each lasting 30 minutes. Two face-to-face individual sessions are scheduled, one at the beginning of each (Module 1) and one at the end (module 8), each with an expected duration of 90 minutes.