Randomized Trial of Stepped Care for Suicide Prevention in Teens and Young Adults

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Suicide; Suicidal Behavior; Suicidal Ideation; Self-Harm, Deliberate
• Interventions: Behavioral: Stepped Care for Suicide Prevention; Behavioral: Zero Suicide Quality Improvement

• Registration Number: NCT03092271
• Lead Sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate two approaches to achieving the aspirational goal of Zero Suicide within a health system: 1) Zero Suicide Best Practices initiated through a zero suicide quality improvement initiative within a health system; and 2) Zero Suicide Best Practices plus an innovative stepped care for suicide prevention intervention for adolescents and young adults that matches treatment intensity with risk levels for suicide/self-harm. ..

Detailed Description

We propose a rigorous randomized trial to evaluate an innovative stepped care for suicide prevention intervention for adolescents and young adults, compared to a zero suicide program initiated by a health system. An effective zero suicide strategy for this age group is critically needed because this is a developmental period when: 1) suicide is the second leading cause of death, accounting for more deaths than any medical illness; 2) suicidal tendencies and behaviors often first occur in this age span; 3) rates of suicide and suicide attempts increase dramatically; and 4) effective intervention can reduce risk, suffering, and costs over lifetimes.

The project combines a partnership with a health system that has strong infrastructure and commitment to quality improvement for zero suicide with a research team that has successfully implemented collaborative stepped care interventions in health systems and has expertise in clinical, health services, economics, and policy research and dissemination. We will identify and enroll 300 youths ages 12-24 with elevated suicide and suicide attempt risk using a multi-stage screening process. Eligible youths will be randomized to: 1) zero suicide best practices, which emphasizes health system quality improvement (ZSQI); or 2) ZSQI plus stepped care for suicide prevention, which integrates evidence-based suicide prevention with primary care and emergency services. Prior research demonstrates the value of similar integrated medical-behavioral health interventions for improving patient outcomes, rates of care, and continuity of care- a critical issue for zero suicide efforts, as many youths discontinue care prematurely despite continuing risk. The ZSQI plus stepped care for suicide prevention approach uses: 1) risk assessments to triage youths to appropriate care levels; 2) care managers to deliver cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy skills training and support primary care and emergency clinicians with patient evaluation and treatment; 3) internet-delivered cognitive-behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy treatment components plus access to coaching support for lower risk youths, with stepped up in-person group and/or individual treatment added for higher risk youths; and 4) regular monitoring of patient outcomes, with feedback to clinicians to facilitate decision-making and use of the stepped care algorithms. The intervention period is 12 months: 6 months of acute treatment; and 6 months of continuation treatment. Results will provide critical information for health systems and science regarding the potential to achieve zero suicide goals by integrating state of the art science with practice quality improvement.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2017-03-21
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-03-21
• Study First Posted: 2017-03-27
• Study Start: 2017-04-03
• Primary Completion: 2022-03-01
• Study Completion: 2022-03-01
• Status Verified: 2022-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-11-02
• Last Update Posted: 2022-11-04

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 301

Inclusion Criteria

1. Presence during past year of a suicide attempt, interrupted suicide attempt, aborted suicide attempt, or active suicidal ideation with a plan; or 2) past year depression, plus a history of a suicide attempt and/or recurrent self-harm;
2. Age 12-24 years

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Exclusion Criteria

1. Mental health/behavioral symptoms that would preclude productive engagement in study assessments or intervention (e.g., active psychosis; drug dependence)
2. Life threatening medical illness or other characteristics that would impede study participation (e.g. plans to move from Oregon during study period; plans for placement out of the home, insufficient locator information for follow-up)
3. Youth receives majority of mental health care outside of the Kaiser-Permanente health system.

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Stepped Care for Suicide Prevention	Zero Suicide Quality Improvement	ZSQI plus a stepped care intervention that matches intensity of services to youth risk level.
Zero Suicide Quality Improvement (ZSQI)	Zero Suicide Quality Improvement	Zero suicide best practices as implemented through a health system zero suicide quality improvement initiative
Stepped Care for Suicide Prevention	Stepped Care for Suicide Prevention	ZSQI plus a stepped care intervention that matches intensity of services to youth risk level.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Suicide Attempt Behavior	12-month observation period	fatal and nonfatal suicide attempts/suicide attempt behaviors

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Suicide Events	12-month observation period	fatal and nonfatal suicide attempts/suicide attempt behaviors, planning/preparatory acts, active suicidal ideation
Self Harm Episodes	12-month observation period	suicide attempts, undetermined self-harm, and nonsuicidal self-injury
Suicidality	12-month observation period	Continuous measure of suicidality
Depression	12-month observation period	Continuous depressive symptom score

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA); 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, California, United States

Kaiser Permanente Northwest; 🇺🇸 Portland, Oregon, United States