N/A
N=17
Peer Based Suicide Prevention
Suicide
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04222673 ↗Enrolled (actual)
17
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Apr 2025
Primary outcome: Primary: Questionnaire About the Process of Recovery (QPR) Change — 48.3; 50.1 score on a scale — p=.05
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- N/A
- Interventions
- Peer Specialist Suicide Prevention (Behavioral)
- Age
- Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- VA Office of Research and Development
- Primary completion
- Dec 2023
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Questionnaire About the Process of Recovery (QPR) Change |
48.3; 50.1 | .05 |
| PRIMARY Hearth Hope Index |
27.5; 29.2 | .05 |
| PRIMARY Suicide Cognitions Scale (SCS) Change |
38.8; 36.3 | .05 |
| PRIMARY Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) Change - Perceived Burden |
20.7; 20.3 | .05 |
| PRIMARY Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) Change - Thwarted Belonging |
37.3; 41.1 | .05 |
| PRIMARY Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS) Change |
19.4; 17.3 | .05 |
| PRIMARY Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) - Suicidal Ideation |
2.67; 1.08 | .05 |
| PRIMARY Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) - Suicidal Ideation Intensity |
11.8; 9.42 | .05 |
Summary
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) suicide rates remain high, requiring new approaches. VHA patients tend to have high medical and behavioral health care needs that cause disruption in their lives and heighten their risk of suicide. This study will adapt and pilot test an intervention that expands the focus of care for VHA patients with high risk for suicide to building a life of self-respect, meaning, and connectedness in one's local community. The pilot intervention will involve receiving support and mentorship from a fellow Veteran living with the same challenges who has been trained in helping others manage their disabilities while achieving specific life goals (i.e., a 'Peer Specialist'). Results from this study will demonstrate the preliminary effectiveness of supplementing the VHA's current clinical approaches to suicide prevention with support provided by a trained Peer Specialist that offers empathy, hope, and practical advice that stemming from 'lived experience' of disability and recovery.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- The investigators will target Veterans with suicide flags because they are at greatest risk for suicide and therefore most in need of intervention
- Eligibility will be limited to Veterans diagnosed with unipolar or bipolar depression as this diagnostic group is the most prevalent in suicidal samples and is supported by prior meta-analyses on peer-provided interventions
- The investigators will ensure decision-making capacity using the Blessed Orientation, Memory, Concentration Test and a brief quiz about the study
- This quiz will involve an iterative process of querying the participants' understanding of consent information with a 10-item true/false test and providing feedback until an acceptable level of understanding is achieved (must get 100% correct after 3 tries to enroll)
Exclusion Criteria
- cognitive impairment as indicated by a Blessed score of >10
- unable to provide voluntary, written informed consent for any reason
- e.g., incompetency
- determination by the patient's psychiatrist not to be appropriate for participation due to unstable psychosis, cognitive disorder, or severe personality disorder
- residing more than 50 miles away
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04222673). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.