Being an adolescent today is far more complex than it was twenty years ago.
Likes on Instagram, perfectionism, constant comparison, and social pressures make this stage of life — already defined as “a period of many changes, specifically physical and emotional” (Vázquez et al., 2023) — particularly difficult to navigate.
Growing up in this environment can leave many young people feeling lost, misunderstood, hopeless, and trapped. They are often expected to know who they are and where they are going before they have even had the chance to “look at the map” and explore the world for themselves.
And yet, when adolescents express this distress, they are still often (mis)heard through the filter of deeply rooted myths (Sharma, 2024). One of the most widespread is the idea that when adolescents show signs of severe distress, they are “just doing it to get attention”. This belief is not only inaccurate, but it is also dangerous. Behaviours associated with distress, such as withdrawal or self-harm, are not driven by a search for visibility, rather they are driven by a need to be seen, heard, and understood. Reducing everything to a demand for attention means minimising suffering and missing valuable opportunities for prevention.
It is therefore not surprising that psychological distress in adolescence has become a public health issue. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people worldwide and is currently the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 29 years (World Health Statistics, 2025). For this reason, the prevention of suicidal behaviour in adolescence should be considered a public health priority (Pan American Health Organization, 2014).
In this context, having the tools to understand the world and to understand oneself — to be able to ask “Who am I?” and “What do I want?” — becomes essential. This is not only about reducing risk, but it is about supporting young people in the development of emotional, relational, and cognitive resources that allow them to face life’s complexities and challenges in a more conscious way.
Against this backdrop, it is urgent to validate effective and efficient interventions that respond to the multifactorial and dynamic nature of suicidal behaviour. Interventions must act not only on structural and social risk and protective factors, but also on the specific psychological mechanisms that the scientific literature has identified as central, such as hopelessness, entrapment, emotional dysregulation, and the need for belonging (Beck, 1976; Klonsky y May, 2015; Joiner, 2005;Rogante et al., 2024)
Moreover, teenagers nowadays interact largely through technology and social networks (Faverio & Sidoti, 2024). Social media is a significant part of many teenagers’ lives (Vogels et al., 2022). Digital spaces are not simply tools — they are environments where identity is explored, relationships are built, and self-worth is often negotiated. This intervention also represents an opportunity to validate a methodology that incorporates digital communication and technological language as tools to access and engage young people, promoting their psychological well-being while taking into account not only the participants themselves, but also their caregivers and families.
Because perhaps, in a world that is moving faster and faster, prevention needs to begin right here: stopping, listening, and reaching out a helping hand. And that’s where the Hold My Hand Project comes in.
What do we aim to achieve?
The project aims to reduce suicidal behaviours in adolescents by targeting the specific psychological mechanisms involved, such as, entrapment, and emotional dysregulation.
Beyond measuring symptom reduction, the intervention seeks to better understand how change occurs and which processes are most important in preventing suicide risk. It also integrates digital communication tools to engage young people in ways that reflect how they naturally interact and connect today, while involving caregivers as part of the prevention process.
How the Hold My Hand Project works
The Hold My Hand Project is a technology assisted intervention whose objective is to design and validate a digitalised programme targeting the key psychological mechanisms underlying suicidal dynamics in adolescents. It will be implemented directly in schools and will involve both adolescents and their families (more info in: https://blogs.uned.es/investigacioninfantojuvenil/sivaria-gestion-del-suicidio/. Around 100 students aged 13 to 18 will participate on a voluntary basis, with parental consent. The program will be delivered by trained clinical psychologists.
Participants will first complete psychological assessments and then take part in a structured intervention consisting of 13 weekly sessions. The sessions organized into three sequential blocks addressing self-understanding and personal resources, emotional regulation and interpersonal skills, and suicide-specific processes (e.g., ideation, planning, intention). The study will include follow-up assessments at 6, 12, and 18 months to evaluate long-term impact.
Conclusion In a rapidly changing digital context, the Hold My Hand Project represents a timely and evidence-informed effort to address adolescent suicidal risk through targeted psychological mechanisms and technology-assisted delivery. By integrating scientific knowledge with developmentally and contextually sensitive strategies, the project seeks to contribute to more effective and accessible prevention approaches for young people and their families.
Martina Medolla is a Professor at Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (UDIMA) and PhD student a Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED).
Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory 