Peer- and family-supported brief suicide prevention for Nepali youth
Innovations for peer-delivered and family-engaged brief interventions for youth suicide in Nepal: A pilot hybrid type 2 implementation study
This pilot offers peer-delivered safety plans hidden in personalized jewelry and follow-up contact, plus family-engagement options, to help Nepali young people ages 12–24 cope with suicidal thoughts and get support.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11403087 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would work with trained peer volunteers to create a personalized safety plan that can be carried as youth-designed jewelry, and peers will provide scheduled contact after a crisis. Trusted family members can be safely and culturally invited to support you according to a clear protocol if you agree. The program is co-designed with local youth and community advisory boards and delivered by a Nepali NGO (SOCHAI) in Makwanpur District with supervision for peers. The team will use interviews, surveys, and operational benchmarks to refine the approach before a larger trial.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescents and young adults aged 12–24 in Makwanpur District, Nepal, who are experiencing suicidal ideation or recent self-harm and can engage with peer and family supports.
Not a fit: This program is not designed for children under 12, adults outside the 12–24 age range, or people needing immediate inpatient psychiatric stabilization, who may not benefit from a brief peer-delivered intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower suicidal thoughts, improve coping skills, and increase connection to mental health services for participating youth.
How similar studies have performed: Components like safety planning and follow-up contacts have shown benefit in prior South Asian work, but delivering plans via personalized jewelry and the specific formal family-engagement strategies are novel.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hagaman, Ashley K — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Hagaman, Ashley K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.