SAFER: A Brief Intervention Involving Family Members in Suicide Safety Planning

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Suicide

In brief

The management of suicide risk is a pressing national public health issue especially among Veterans, and there exist no guidelines of how best to involve family members in this effort. This proposal will integrate family and couples communication skills training with suicide safety planning. The goal is for the sharing of Veteran suicide safety plans with family members and the construction of a parallel family member safety plan, in efforts to mobilize and support family involvement.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03034863

Run by

VA Office of Research and Development

People needed

78

Starts

2017-07-03

Expected to finish

2020-02-28

Last updated by the study team

2021-12-10

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 89. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Inclusion criteria-Veterans:
• Eligible Veterans must be identified as at moderate risk for suicide, defined as:
• evidence of current (within the past week) suicidal ideation
• plan or intent on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), but scoring less than or equal to 4 on the C-SSRS Behavior Scale, and without history of a lethal suicide attempt in the last 3 months.
• Inclusion criteria also include the availability of a consenting, qualifying family member or spouse/cohabiting partner.
• Inclusion criteria-family member/significant others:
• Family members/friends must meet at least three (two for nonrelatives) of five criteria:
• is a spouse, co-habiting significant other or parent
• has more frequent contact than any other caregiver
• helps to support the patient financially
• is contacted by treatment staff for emergencies
• has been involved in the patient's treatment

You may not qualify if…

• Exclusion criteria for Veterans and family/partners are:
• untreated or un-medicated psychosis
• current alcohol or drug abuse or dependence defined by a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) for Alcohol \& Drug Use
• for couples, "severe" intimate-partner violence as defined by the revised 20-item Conflict Tactics Scale Short Form (CTS2S)
• medical condition or life event, e.g.,
• participation in another family-based psychosocial intervention trial six months prior to study
• limited English proficiency. Participants will be screened for inclusion/exclusion as described above immediately after giving consent.

Where it is running

• James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY — The Bronx, New York, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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