Army-SPRING for Suicide Prevention

Recruiting at 2 trial locations

Overseen By Lily A Brown, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 1

Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

57 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

Every unit in the Connecticut Army National Guard has a Suicide Intervention Officer to provide suicide intervention education awareness for their unit, monitor for soldiers in crisis and connect soldiers with helping resources and agencies. Suicide Intervention Officers need support in this difficult role, yet there is limited guidance on how to help them. This study will shed light on how to support Suicide Intervention Officers and whether this support results in reduced suicide risk in their units.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants must stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Army-SPRING for suicide prevention?

The research suggests that multifaceted interventions, like Army-SPRING, are supported by evidence for reducing suicide risk among military personnel, although the quality of the studies varies. Additionally, similar treatments, such as the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), have shown effectiveness in reducing suicidal thoughts and attempts in soldiers. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Research Team

Ashley Hagaman, PhD

Principal Investigator

Yale University

Lily Brown, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Pennsylvania

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for Suicide Intervention Officers in the Connecticut Army National Guard. It aims to support them in their role of providing suicide intervention, monitoring soldiers in crisis, and connecting them with resources.

Inclusion Criteria

Serving as an SIO or chaplain/religious affairs specialist for a unit of the CTARNG

Willing to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

N/A

Timeline

Preparatory Work

6 months of preparatory work with the community advisory board to collect feedback and provide input throughout the study

6 months

Feedback Collection

Collect feedback from Army National Guard Soldiers, their families, Chaplains, and leadership on reducing suicide risk

6 months

Intervention

Compare two strategies to support Suicide Intervention Officers, including training and community support

1 year

Follow-up

Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention strategies on reducing suicide risk

3 years

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Army-SPRING

Trial Overview The study is testing a new support program called Army-SPRING against the current standard practice. The goal is to see if this additional support can help reduce suicide risks within military units.

Participant Groups

Group I: Army-SPRING Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Army-SPRING includes a package of implementation options to support implementation of ASIST

Group II: Risk Reduction Group (Control) Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Risk Reduction Group is a mandated training from National Guard Service members

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Pennsylvania

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,118

Recruited

45,270,000+

Yale University

Collaborator

Trials

1,963

Recruited

3,046,000+

Findings from Research

In a randomized controlled trial with 148 U.S. Army Soldiers, the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) was found to significantly reduce suicidal ideation (SI) compared to enhanced care as usual (E-CAU) by 3 months, with a strong effect size (Cohen's d = 0.93).

Both CAMS and E-CAU led to improvements in various behavioral health outcomes, but CAMS showed a notable advantage in reducing suicidal thoughts, highlighting its potential as an effective intervention for Soldiers with significant suicidal ideation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality versus Enhanced Care as Usual With Suicidal Soldiers. Jobes, DA., Comtois, KA., Gutierrez, PM., et al.[2019]

A pilot trial involving 36 military personnel hospitalized after a suicide attempt tested Post-Admission Cognitive Therapy (PACT), which showed promising results in improving depression and PTSD symptoms compared to enhanced usual care.

While there was no significant difference in the rate of repeat suicide attempts between the two groups, a higher percentage of participants receiving PACT experienced clinically significant improvements in depression (100% vs. 78%) and PTSD symptoms (100% vs. 38%).

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pilot trial of post-admission cognitive therapy: Inpatient program for suicide prevention. LaCroix, JM., Perera, KU., Neely, LL., et al.[2022]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Raising the clinical standard of care for suicidal soldiers: an army process improvement initiative. [2022]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality versus Enhanced Care as Usual With Suicidal Soldiers. [2019]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pilot trial of post-admission cognitive therapy: Inpatient program for suicide prevention. [2022]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systematic review of suicide prevention programs for military or veterans. [2022]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Association of Firearm Ownership, Use, Accessibility, and Storage Practices With Suicide Risk Among US Army Soldiers. [2022]