Peer-delivered recovery support to prevent suicide for Veterans with serious mental illness

A Novel Peer-Delivered Recovery-Focused Suicide Prevention Intervention for Veterans with Serious Mental Illness

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · VA SAN DIEGO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM · NIH-11220712

This project offers a peer-delivered recovery-focused program to help Veterans with serious mental illness reduce suicidal thoughts and stay connected to care.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorVA SAN DIEGO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (nih funded)
Locations1 site (SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11220712 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If you join, you'll work with trained Veteran peers who offer recovery-focused support aimed at reducing suicidal thoughts and helping you stay connected to care. The team will refine and pilot the SUPPORT program by adapting safety planning and recovery tactics specifically for people with bipolar disorder or psychotic disorders. You may get peer visits, help with coping strategies, follow-up contacts, and assistance linking to services while researchers track how acceptable and useful the program is. Your feedback will be used to improve the program before it is tested more widely in VA settings.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are Veterans with serious mental illness (such as bipolar disorder or psychotic disorders) who have current or past suicidal thoughts or behaviors and receive VA care.

Not a fit: People without serious mental illness, non-Veterans, or those in an immediate medical or psychiatric crisis may not benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower suicidal thoughts and increase engagement with care for Veterans with serious mental illness.

How similar studies have performed: Peer support and safety planning have shown promise in other groups, but this tailored, recovery-focused peer approach for Veterans with SMI is relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Bipolar Disorder

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.