Patient Navigation for Suicidal Thoughts in Black Youth

Overseen By Rhonda Boyd, PhD

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Disqualifiers: Non-black, Outside age range, Others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 6 months

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to test whether a patient navigation program can help Black youth with suicidal thoughts begin and continue mental health treatment. Participants will either receive assistance from a patient navigator who helps set up appointments and overcome barriers (Adapted-STAT ED) or receive a list of resources and follow-up calls (Standard Enhanced Treatment). The study seeks Black youth who have experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviors, visited an emergency department for these issues in the past year, and live in Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New Jersey. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative mental health solutions tailored to their community.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

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

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research has shown that the Adapted-STAT ED treatment is being developed to help Black youth with suicidal thoughts access necessary mental health care. Although specific safety data for this exact treatment is not yet available, it builds on existing support methods known to be safe and well-tolerated. This treatment aids families in understanding and accessing mental health care options, facilitating the initiation and continuation of treatment. Reports have not indicated any negative effects from this type of supportive intervention, as it primarily involves communication and assisting families in finding care. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it aims to address the unique needs of Black youth experiencing suicidal thoughts through a more personalized approach. Unlike standard care, which typically involves providing a list of mental health resources and a follow-up call, the Adapted-STAT ED intervention includes a patient navigator who actively assists families in connecting with mental health services. This includes considering the family's preferences for the race and gender of providers, convenience, and type of treatment. The frequent, personalized communication between the navigator and the family could help overcome barriers to care and promote timely initiation of mental health treatment, potentially leading to better outcomes.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for suicidal thoughts in Black youth?

Research has shown that customizing suicide prevention programs to meet the cultural needs of Black youth can be effective. Studies have found that supportive text messages help young people use their safety plans more effectively and feel more confident in avoiding suicidal actions. The Adapted Coping with Stress program has shown promise in reducing suicidal thoughts among Black students. In this trial, the Adapted-STAT ED intervention will assist families in following up with mental health referrals and provide personalized support, potentially increasing mental health treatment and lowering the risk of suicide for Black youth. Meanwhile, the Standard Enhanced Treatment arm will offer participants a list of resources and referrals for mental health treatment, along with follow-up phone calls to support treatment initiation. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Rhonda C. Boyd, PhD

Principal Investigator

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Black youth aged 10-18 living in or near Philadelphia County who can read and understand English. It's designed for those who have had suicidal thoughts or behaviors within the last year and visited an emergency department.

Inclusion Criteria

Youth must endorse suicidal ideation and/or behaviors within the last year at an ED visit

Caregiver must be a parent or legal guardian of eligible youth

Youth must identify as Black

Exclusion Criteria

Youth is currently engaged in mental health treatment

Youth does not identify as Black

Youth has no history of suicidal ideation or behavior

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive either adapted STAT-ED or enhanced treatment as usual following discharge from the emergency department

6 months

Weekly communication (in-person, telephone, or text)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for mental health treatment initiation and suicidal ideation

6 months

Assessments at 2 months and 6 months post-enrollment

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Adapted-STAT ED
• Standard Enhanced Treatment

Trial Overview The study compares two approaches: Standard Enhanced Treatment versus Adapted-STAT ED, which is a tailored patient navigation intervention to help increase mental health treatment initiation and follow-up visits among Black youth at risk of suicide.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Adapted STAT-ED Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The intervention will assist the family in following up with mental health referral recommendations provided by ED staff and eliciting families' preferences in regards to race and gender of providers, convenience of provider, and type of treatment. This assistance could involve help with the initial telephone contact, getting to appointments, and preparing for the appointments. The patient navigator will communicate with the family in person, by telephone, and/or by text messaging as per family's preference. This once to twice a week communication with both the youth and their parent will promote mental health care initiation and identify barriers and problem-solving solutions.

Group II: Standard Enhanced Treatment Active Control 1 Intervention

After discharge from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia emergency department, the participant will be given a list of resources and referrals for mental health treatment by the hospital social work team. Phone call contact will be made to follow up on the initiation of treatment from the referral recommendations given at discharge.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Lead Sponsor

Trials

749

Recruited

11,400,000+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

University of Pennsylvania

Collaborator

Trials

2,118

Recruited

45,270,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12407243/

Making Deep-Structure Adaptations: A Community-Engaged ... This study responds to the suicide crisis among Black youth populations by tailoring suicide interventions to meet their specific cultural needs ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12378765/

Suicide Prevention in Youth - PMC Adolescents who received supportive text messages showed improved safety plan use, self-efficacy to refrain from suicidal action, and coping by ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560325000921

Black youth suicide is not new: Early contributions, recent ... The Adapted Coping with Stress intervention has yielded promising outcomes in reducing suicidal ideation among Black ninth-grade students (A-CWS; Robinson et ...

4. samhsa.gov samhsa.gov/mental-health/suicidal-behavior/prevention-initiatives/black-youth-suicide

SAMHSA's Black Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative Research shows that from 2018 to 2021, Black individuals aged 10 to 24 experienced a 37% increase in suicides, the largest increase among racial ...

5. pew.org pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2024/04/22/black-adolescent-suicide-rate-reveals-urgent-need-to-address-mental-health-care-barriers

Black Adolescent Suicide Rate Reveals Urgent Need to ... From 2007 to 2020, the suicide rate rose 144% among 10- to 17-year-olds who are Black. Although the overall youth suicide rate is trending ...

6. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11140985

Hyper-surveillance and suicides among Black youth in the U.S. Project Summary/Abstract Suicide rates among Black youth have risen markedly in recent decades, now exceeding those among White youth by over 60%. Black youth ...

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8904650/

Black Youth Suicide: Investigation of Current Trends and ... In 2019, a total of 1,646 suicide deaths were reported, and more than 111,000 cases of self-harm behavior were seen in hospitals nationwide for this age group.

8. medicine.yale.edu medicine.yale.edu/news-article/youth-suicide-is-on-the-rise-yale-aims-to-save-lives/

Youth Suicide Is on the Rise: Yale Aims to Save Lives The trend is even more alarming regarding Black children and teens. The suicide rate among Black youth ages 10-17 increased by 144% between 2007 ...

9. ncdhhs.gov ncdhhs.gov/nc-black-youth-suicide-prevention-action-plan/open

North Carolina Black Youth Suicide Prevention Action Plan A review of 2023 data indicated that Black populations were overrepresented in emergency department. (ED) visit data for suicidal ideation and self-injury ...