Brief Skills for Safer Living: one-session therapy for people with suicidal thoughts
Official title: Investigating the Efficacy of a Novel Therapy for Suicide Risk in Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intensive Single Session of "Brief Skills for Safer Living"
Run by Unity Health Toronto · NCT06571916 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether one brief, virtual Brief-SfSL session plus usual care helps adults in Canada with recent suicidal thoughts reduce suicidal thinking compared with usual care alone.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 150 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Unity Health Toronto Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Toronto, Ontario) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 17, 2025 |
| Main results expected | October 1, 2028 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | August 4, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06571916 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults in Canada with suicidal ideation in the past week who can use a phone or computer with internet, can consent in English, have an emergency contact and local hospital access, and are not currently receiving another psychotherapy.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with active psychosis, significant cognitive impairment, inability to participate in English, or those who require more intensive or ongoing psychotherapeutic care may not benefit from this single-session intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This randomized controlled trial will enroll 150 adults across Canada who have had suicidal thoughts in the past week and randomize them to receive either a single-session Brief-SfSL intervention plus treatment as usual or treatment as usual with a 3-month waitlist for Brief-SfSL. Brief-SfSL is a one-session, individually delivered psychotherapy adapted from a longer 20-week group program and is delivered virtually. Primary outcomes include changes in suicidal ideation at 3 months, with secondary measures of depression, anxiety, anhedonia, social connectedness, emotion regulation, functioning, executive control, and social problem-solving, and monitoring of adverse events. The design builds on a prior single-arm pilot of 77 adults showing feasibility and safety and compares Brief-SfSL against treatment as usual to determine efficacy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could offer a fast, widely accessible single-session therapy that reduces suicidal thoughts and improves coping for people at risk.
How similar studies have gone: A prior single-arm virtual pilot of Brief-SfSL in 77 Canadian adults showed feasibility, acceptability, safety, and signals of reduced suicidal risk, and the approach is adapted from a previously successful 20-week group program.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Suicidal ideation in the past week * Access to a computer or phone with a camera * Access to internet * Access to an emergency contact and hospital within commuting distance * Not receiving other psychotherapy/counselling services concurrently * Willing to have the session recorded to determine therapy fidelity * Any psychiatric diagnosis is allowed * Follow-up visits with a psychiatrist and/or family doctor where a psychotherapeutic modality (e.g., Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, psychodynamic therapy, etc.) is not being used are allowable Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to undergo psychotherapy in English * Presence of cognitive impairment that would limit consent and understanding of Brief Skills for Safer Living or study procedures * Active psychosis that impairs capacity to consent, understand study procedures, or participate * Unwilling or unable to provide informed consent * Previously enrolled in the Brief-SfSL pilot study * Unwilling or unable to communicate verbally
Where it's running
-
St. Michael's Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Sakina Rizvi, PhD, MACP — Unity Health Toronto
- Study coordinator: Anna Kiriakidis, RSSW, HBASc
- Email: anna.kiriakidis@unityhealth.to
- Phone: 416-360-4000
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Combining the Youth-Nominated Support Team with CBT for Black adolescents at acute suicide risk
This project will test whether adding a computer-assisted Youth-Nominated Support Team to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention helps Black adolescents (ages 12-17) who come to an urban emergency setting with suicidal thoughts or self-injury.
-
Co-creating suicide prevention tools for people in prison
This project will work with people in prison and prison care staff to test and adapt three suicide prevention tools so they fit prison life and are easier to use.
-
Chat conversations with the suicide helpline 1813: how people experience them
This study tests how people feel before and after chatting with the Zelfmoordlijn 1813 helpline to see if the chat affects suicidal thoughts or feelings.
-
Evaluating a suicide risk screening program in rural schools
This study is testing a new program in rural West Virginia schools to see if it can help identify and support students at risk of suicide.
-
Intensive Crisis Intervention for teens with suicidal thoughts or behaviors
This project will try a brief, family-focused Intensive Crisis Intervention to see if it helps 12–17-year-olds with suicidal thoughts or recent attempts reduce suicidal behavior and avoid inpatient psychiatric care.
-
Caring Connections: youth suicide detection and support
This pilot will test whether Caring Connections, a culturally adapted 90-day care coordination program delivered through community and faith-based hubs, helps high-risk Black and other youth aged 13–19 reduce suicidal thoughts and connect with mental health services.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.