Program to reduce suicidal behavior after hospital discharge
An Innovative Brief Intervention Contact Program to Improve Healthcare Delivery for Suicidal Behaviour
This study is testing a support program that uses texts, calls, and letters to help people who have just left the hospital after a suicide attempt stay connected to care and reduce their risk of future suicidal behavior.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 220 (estimated) |
| Ages | 16 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Hamilton) |
| Trial ID | NCT05656781 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This clinical trial focuses on a brief intervention and contact program designed to support individuals who have recently been discharged from psychiatric care following a suicide attempt or suicidal ideation. The program involves follow-up through text messages, phone calls, and letters to maintain engagement with healthcare services and reduce the risk of further suicidal behavior. The intervention is based on the World Health Organization's protocol and aims to address the critical gap in care during the vulnerable post-discharge period. The study builds on previous pilot research demonstrating the feasibility of this approach in a Canadian population.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are individuals aged 16 and older who have been admitted to a psychiatric facility due to suicidal behavior.
Not a fit: Patients who are not at risk of suicidal behavior or those who do not consent to participate in the study may not receive any benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could significantly reduce the incidence of suicide attempts and deaths among high-risk individuals after discharge from psychiatric care.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown success with similar brief contact interventions in reducing suicidal behavior, indicating a promising approach for this trial.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Admitted following a suicidal behaviour (suicide attempt or with suicidal ideation), * At least 16 years of age, no restrictions on sex or gender * Provide written, informed consent, * Provide consent for research staff to have access to their electronic medical record (EMR), * Provide consent for research staff to contact their primary care provider, outpatient and other healthcare providers care team, if necessary, * Provide health card number and consent to share with Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and link to Ontario health records to analyze and evaluate events such as admissions, death by suicide and usage of health care services (such as hospitalizations) in Ontario for the period covering the study time and 2 years post study completion. The 2 years post discharge will not be feasible to continue follow up for this trial and are reported to be a risk period in the literature. Therefore, we opted to leverage administrative health record data to enrich the study impact post study completion. Exclusion criteria \- We will exclude patients who are unable to understand written and spoken English, as the research staff/clinicians delivering the intervention are limited to English-speaking populations.
Where this trial is running
Hamilton
- St. Joseph's Healthcare — Hamilton, Canada (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Zainab Samaan, MD/PhD — McMaster Unversity
- Study coordinator: Zainab Samaan, MD/PhD
- Email: samaanz@mcmaster.ca
- Phone: 9055221155
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.