Safety planning and talk therapy to help Mozambican teenagers at risk of suicide
Official title: Safety Planning and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescent Suicide Prevention in Mozambique: A Hybrid Effectiveness/Implementation Cluster Randomized Trial
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11284095 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers safety plans and a short, skills-based cognitive behavioral therapy to help secondary-school students in Mozambique who have suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $288,331 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH134882-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11284095 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are secondary-school students in Mozambique (roughly ages 10–18) who are experiencing current suicidal thoughts or recent suicidal behavior.
✕Less likely to help
Those who are not students in participating Mozambican schools, who do not have suicidal thoughts, or who need urgent specialized psychiatric or medical care may not benefit from this school-based program.
What this research studies
You would be part of a school-based program where some schools get a brief safety-planning intervention and a transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy adapted for suicide prevention, delivered by trained non-specialist facilitators. Schools are grouped and randomly assigned so researchers can compare outcomes across different approaches while also studying how well the programs can be delivered in real schools. The team will track students' suicidal thoughts and behaviors, plus practical implementation measures like how acceptable and feasible the interventions are for students and school staff. The work is designed to be delivered in-person in Mozambican secondary schools and builds on earlier feasibility work in the country.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce suicidal thoughts and attempts among Mozambican adolescents and help schools offer effective, locally delivered support.
How similar studies have gone: Safety-planning and CBT-style approaches have reduced suicidal behavior in other settings and both interventions have shown feasibility in Mozambique, though their combined, school-based use there is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wagenaar, Bradley — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Wagenaar, Bradley
Related research
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Targeted online suicide prevention for Veterans
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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.