Integrated suicide and trauma therapy for adults with childhood trauma and suicidal thoughts

Using Integrated Suicide and Trauma Therapy to Reduce Suicide Risk Among Adults With a History of Childhood Trauma

This pilot will test a 12-week program that combines brief safety and coping skills with trauma-focused therapy to reduce suicide risk in adults who have a history of childhood trauma and current suicidal thoughts.

Quick facts

• Phase: Not applicable
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Unity Health Toronto (Academic / other)
• Locations: 1 site (Toronto, Ontario)
• Trial ID: NCT05613972 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Investigators developed Integrated Suicide and Trauma Therapy (ISTT), a 12-week intervention that pairs Brief-Skills for Safer Living (Brief-SfSL) with a trauma therapy component to target both immediate suicide-related coping and long-term effects of childhood trauma. The pilot will enroll adults with current suicidal ideation (Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation >10) and at least a moderate score on a Childhood Trauma Questionnaire subscale. Participants will receive weekly psychotherapy sessions at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and are excluded if they have active psychosis, cognitive impairment limiting consent, or are receiving other psychotherapy. Outcomes will focus on changes in suicide risk and trauma-related symptoms over the treatment period.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults with current suicidal ideation (Beck SSI >10), a history of childhood trauma (moderate or higher on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), capacity to consent, English fluency, and not currently receiving other psychotherapy.

Not a fit: Patients with active psychosis, significant cognitive impairment that prevents informed consent, non-English speakers, or those already engaged in psychotherapy are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, ISTT could reduce suicidal thoughts and improve coping by addressing both immediate safety skills and the long-term effects of childhood trauma.

How similar studies have performed: The constituent approaches—Brief-SfSL for coping and established trauma-focused therapies—have shown promise individually, but the integrated ISTT approach is novel and is being piloted.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation \> 10
* Presence of childhood trauma defined by a minimum moderate score on any of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire subscales (emotional abuse, physical, abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect
* Presence of any psychiatric diagnosis
* Ability to provide informed consent
* Not receiving other psychotherapy concurrently
* Ability to undergo psychotherapy in English

Exclusion Criteria:

* The presence of cognitive impairment that would limit consent or understanding of ISTT
* The presence of active psychosis
* Unwilling or unable to provide informed consent

Where this trial is running

Toronto, Ontario

• St. Michael's Hospital — Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Sakina Rizvi, PhD,MACP,RP — Unity Health Toronto
• Study coordinator: Sakina Rizvi, PhD,MACP,RP

Conditions Suicide; Trauma; Major Depressive Disorder; Childhood trauma; Early life adversity; Adverse childhood experiences; Suicide intervention; Psychotherapy