(Cost)-Effectiveness of ABFT for Suicidal Youth.

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Suicidal Ideation

In brief

Young adults who attempt to kill themselves is a common and serious mental health problem worldwide and certainly in Belgium and the Netherlands. Fatal suicide is the leading cause of death among young adults. It has devastating consequences both for the young adults themselves and for their families. It also has substantial economic costs. However, up until now, there is little research on the treatment of suicidality among young adults. The current psychological therapy approaches and drug treatments for young people at very high risk of fatal suicide attempts have only limited success. Increasing evidence indicates the importance of involving significant others in treatment and the importance of the unfulfilled need for belonging and secure attachment. The WHO recommends involving significant others in the treatment of suicidal young adults. However, in Belgium and the Netherlands, there is little knowledge on the effectiveness of family based treatments. Attachment Based Family Therapy, or ABFT, was shown to work well in several studies in the US. Also in Belgium and the Netherlands, ABFT is being used to treat suicidal young adults. However, how well it works compared to the current treatment and if it provides good value for money have not been studied in young adults. In the proposed study the investigators will test, in a real-life situation, whether ABFT works better than the current treatment and if it provides good value for money. This study is a collaboration between the Netherlands and Belgium and 6 or 7 sites will participate from each country. Sites can be hospitals, mental health centres, student health centres or private practices. Participants (138 individuals) are young adults between 18 and 25 years old who have frequent thoughts about killing themselves, and who seek mental health treatment. The investigators predict that, compared to current treatment, ABFT will reduce suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts and that this improvement will be maintained over time, and that it will be better value for money. The project will contribute to improving care for suicidal young adults with high suicide risk. Results will inform clinical guidelines and policymakers and improve the treatment of young adults with a high risk for fatal suicide, and their families.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT05965622

Run by

Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)

People needed

138

Starts

2023-10-05

Expected to finish

2026-11-14

Last updated by the study team

2024-08-22

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 25. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Aged between 18 and 25.
• A score above 31 on the SIQ-JR (the cut-off for suicidality).
• Have at least one primary parent or caregiver that participates in the assessment and treatment. This could be a biological parent, stepparent, grandparent, other relative, or a foster parent.

You may not qualify if…

• Other DSM-5 disorders: substance dependency: severe alcohol or cannabis use disorder, all other substances: modest or severe substance use disorder.
• Severe conduct disorder.
• Evidence of psychotic features or prior psychosis (assessed with the SCID-5-S).
• Severe cognitive impairment (e.g., mental retardation, severe developmental disorders) as evidenced by educational records, parental report and/or clinical impression.
• Other circumstances that might affect participation (e.g., severe medical disorder, relocation).

Where it is running

• GGz Centraal — Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands (enrolling)
• GGZ Oost Brabant — Oss, North Brabant, Netherlands (enrolling)
• Arkin — Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands (enrolling)
• Kenter Jeugdhulp — Santpoort-Noord, North Holland, Netherlands (enrolling)
• Prakijkt ConnectUs — Tongeren, Limburg, Belgium (enrolling)
• UPC KU Leuven, campus Kortenberg — Kortenberg, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium (enrolling)
• STUVO Psychologen en Psychiaters — Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium (enrolling)
• Praktijk Annemie Uyttersprot — Merchtem, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium (enrolling)
• GGzE — Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands (enrolling)
• UGent Centrum Kind en Adolescent — Ghent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
• Levvel — Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
• PraxisP — Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium
• Academisch Medisch Centrum — Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

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