Primary care loneliness programs to prevent suicide
Development and Pilot Study of Primary Care Loneliness Interventions to Prevent Suicide
This project will try two short loneliness programs—social prescribing and brief cognitive therapy—in primary care to help adults who feel lonely and may have suicidal thoughts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11084462 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you're an adult visiting a primary care clinic and feel lonely, this project adapts two brief approaches—social prescribing, which links you to community activities, and brief cognitive therapy, which teaches skills to change unhelpful thoughts—for delivery by behavioral health staff in primary care. In a pilot three-arm randomized design, patients will be assigned to social prescribing, brief cognitive therapy, or usual care to see which approach most reduces loneliness and suicidal ideation. The team will work with primary care behavioral health care managers to tailor the programs to clinic workflows and will measure loneliness, mood, and safety-related outcomes over the study period. The project focuses on adults aged 21 and older.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (age 21+) seen in participating primary care clinics who report significant loneliness and may have depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who are not lonely, who need intensive specialty psychiatric care (for example active suicidal intent, psychosis, or severe substance use), or who cannot access participating clinics may not benefit from these brief primary care interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these approaches could give primary care teams practical tools to reduce loneliness and lower suicide risk for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Previous primary care loneliness programs have had mixed results, though social prescribing and brief cognitive therapies have shown promise in other settings but are not yet established in primary care.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pfeiffer, Paul Nelson — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Pfeiffer, Paul Nelson
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.