Comparing Suicide Prevention Interventions to Guide Follow-up Care: The SPRING Trial

Not Applicable

Active, not recruiting

• Conditions: Suicide Prevention; Suicide and Self-harm; Suicide

• Registration Number: NCT06128239
• Lead Sponsor: St. Luke's Health System, Boise, Idaho

Brief Summary

Pragmatic randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of two-way Caring Contacts text messages vs. one-way Caring Contacts text messages vs. enhanced usual care for suicide prevention in adults and adolescents.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-11-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-11-07
• Study First Posted: 2023-11-13
• Study Start: 2023-12-29
• Status Verified: 2025-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-07-07
• Last Update Posted: 2025-07-09
• Primary Completion: 2026-03-31
• Study Completion: 2026-03-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 854

Inclusion Criteria

• Adolescents (12-17 years old) and adults (18+)
• Response of "yes" to at least one item on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) six-item screener at a St. Luke's Health System (SLHS) primary care or behavioral health clinic, or electronic health record or provider note from an eligible encounter indicates suicide risk
• Ability to send and receive text messages
• Ability to receive phone calls
• Ability to receive emails
• Participant and legal guardian (if applicable) speak, read, and understand English
• Accommodations may be made for individuals with impaired hearing

Exclusion Criteria

• Individuals who participated in a previous randomized controlled trial in the same health system related to Caring Contacts (SPARC Trial or MHAPPS Trial)
• Patients who are unable or unwilling to provide informed consent*, for example, due to acute or chronic cognitive impairment (i.e.: acute psychosis, intoxication, or intellectual disability).
• Primary Care Provider, Behavioral Health Provider, or Principal Investigator determines that participation in the research is not in the best interest of the patient or the study team.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Suicidal behavior	Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months	Measured using the Harkavy-Asnis Suicide Scale (HASS) Active Suicidal Behavior Sub-Scale. The HASS has been validated for self-report, with strong psychometric properties in adolescents and adults. This measure asks about the frequency of suicide attempt planning, and actual and aborted/interrupted suicide attempts. Participants respond using the Likert scale response options used by Asarnow et al.'s validation study, modified to fit the survey time period (past six months at baseline/12-month outcome surveys, and past 3 months for 3- and 6-month outcome surveys). Each HASS sub-scale is scored separately by summing the response values. Scores on the Active Suicidal Behavior Sub-Scale range from 0 - 20, with higher scores corresponding to higher suicide risk. The primary outcome will be the cumulative risk of suicidal behavior assessed using area under the curve of the HASS scores over the 12-month study period.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Suicide attempts	Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months	Suicide attempts will be measured using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), which is valid for adolescents and adults.
Suicide ideation	Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months	Suicidal ideation will be measured using the Passive Suicidal Ideation Subscale of the Harkavy-Asnis Suicide Scale (HASS), which includes 12 items. Scores on the Passive Suicidal Ideation Sub-Scale range from 0 - 48, with higher scores corresponding to higher suicide risk.
Suicide-related Emergency Department (ED) utilization and hospitalization	Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months	Suicide-related ED utilization and hospitalization will be assessed by self-report and using electronic medical records. Reason for visit/diagnoses may be reviewed in electronic medical records for any inpatient or outpatient encounters that occur during the study period.
Outpatient mental health treatment	Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months	Outpatient mental health treatment will be self-reported and assessed using electronic medical records. Reason for visit/diagnoses may be reviewed in electronic medical records for any inpatient or outpatient encounters that occur during the study period.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

St. Luke's Health System; 🇺🇸 Boise, Idaho, United States