Preventing suicidal behavior in high-risk youth in emergency care settings

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study compares the effectiveness of two brief, evidence-based interventions aimed at preventing suicidal crises among youth aged 12-19 who present in emergency departments. The interventions include the Stanley Brown Safety Planning Intervention with Follow-up Contacts, which focuses on crisis de-escalation, and Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents Ultra Short Crisis Intervention, which addresses interpersonal issues contributing to suicidal thoughts. The research will take place in ethnically and racially diverse urban areas, including Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York City, to ensure a broad representation of high-risk youth. The findings aim to inform future standards of care for suicidal adolescents in acute settings.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Suicide Risk During Acute Care Visit (At least one item must apply: Chief complaint of suicide-related concern, Active suicidal ideation endorsed in past 1 month on validated suicide screener, Suicidal behavior in the past 3 months on validated suicide screener, and/or Clinician indicated SI in past month or SA in past 3 months).
* Have access to a cellular phone with the ability to receive phone calls and text messages over the 12-month follow- up period
* Adolescent must be verbally fluent and can communicate, understand, and read in either English or Spanish
* Adolescent has been/will be discharged from a higher level of care (i.e. inpatient, day hospital, partial hospitalization program (PHP), or residential treatment program) and back in the community within 4 weeks of the acute care visit.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Significant cognitive or developmental delays that prevent understanding or using SPI+ or IPT-A-SCI (includes inability to communicate verbally)
* Altered mental status (acute psychosis, intoxication, or mania)
* Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent (adults), assent (minors), or permission (parents/caregivers)
* The services offered through the study are not in the best clinical interest of the patient (e.g., presenting problem requires a different level of care or treatment approach).

Where it's running

• Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital
  St. Petersburg, Florida, United States Recruiting
• Johns Hopkins University
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States Recruiting
• Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUMC)
  New York, New York, United States Recruiting
• Weill-Cornell Medicine
  New York, New York, United States Recruiting
• University of North Carolina Medical Center
  Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States Recruiting
• Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Holly C Wilcox, PhD — Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Study coordinator: Holly C Wilcox, PhD
• Email: hwilcox1@jhmi.edu
• Phone: 410-370-0081

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

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• Chat conversations with the suicide helpline 1813: how people experience them

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.