Culturally Adapted Stress Management for Preventing Suicide in Adolescents

Not currently recruiting at 5 trial locations

Overseen By Leonard Jason, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: DePaul University

Disqualifiers: Not 9th grade, No permission

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

The trial aims to prevent suicide in African American teenagers by teaching stress management through a culturally tailored program. It includes a 15-session course, Robinson's Culturally Adapted Coping with Stress Course (A-CWS), led by school-based social workers. The course focuses on building resilience and improving coping skills to reduce stress and violence. Participants will either join the new course or receive standard support for comparison. Ninth graders facing stress challenges and enrolled in participating high schools may be a good fit for this trial. As an unphased trial, the study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative approaches in mental health support for teenagers.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this intervention is safe for adolescents?

Research has shown that Robinson's Culturally Adapted Coping with Stress Course (A-CWS) is a safe program for African American teenagers. The course includes 15 sessions that teach stress management and challenge handling. Studies have found that participants respond well to this program, with no major reports of negative effects. As a group program, it fosters a supportive and secure environment for participants. Since the course focuses on behavior rather than medication, the risks remain generally low. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about Robinson's Culturally Adapted Coping with Stress Course (A-CWS) because it offers a unique approach to preventing suicide in adolescents by tailoring stress management strategies to fit different cultural backgrounds. Unlike standard care options that may not account for cultural differences, A-CWS emphasizes personalized coping techniques that resonate more with diverse adolescent populations. This culturally sensitive method is expected to improve engagement and effectiveness, potentially leading to better mental health outcomes for at-risk youth.

What evidence suggests that Robinson's Culturally Adapted Coping with Stress Course is effective for preventing suicide in African American adolescents?

Research has shown that the Adapted-Coping with Stress Course (A-CWS), which participants in this trial may receive, greatly reduces the risk of suicide among African American teenagers, achieving an impressive 86% decrease. This course includes 15 sessions that teach strategies to change negative thinking and manage stress more effectively. It is specifically designed to address the experiences and challenges faced by African American youth. The program has successfully reduced suicidal thoughts in this group by helping them find better ways to cope with stress. By building resilience and improving coping skills, the program aims to reduce personal and social conflicts among participants. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

LaVome Robinson, PhD

Principal Investigator

DePaul University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for African American 9th graders enrolled in participating high schools. Their parents or guardians must consent to their participation, and teachers are involved if they have students in the study. It's not open to those who aren't in 9th grade at enrollment or lack parental permission.

Inclusion Criteria

Parents/guardians: Child enrolled in study

Teachers: Student enrolled in study

I am a 9th grader enrolled at a participating high school.

Exclusion Criteria

No parent/legal guardian permission

Not a 9th grade student at time of initial enrollment

For parents and teachers: no students enrolled in study

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive a 15-session, group-delivered, culturally-grounded, cognitive-behavioral intervention (A-CWS) delivered by social workers

15 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in suicide ideation, hope, adaptive coping, and hopelessness

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Robinson's Culturally Adapted Coping with Stress Course (A-CWS)
• Standard Care Control Condition

Trial Overview The trial tests a culturally adapted stress coping course (A-CWS) taught by social workers from the school system against standard care. The goal is to see if it can boost resilience, improve coping strategies, and reduce violence and suicide among these youths.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Robinson's Culturally Adapted Coping with Stress Course Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Group II: Standard Care Control Condition Active Control 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

DePaul University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

9

Recruited

8,500+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4978429/

Culturally Grounded Stress Reduction and Suicide ... This article reports on the process used to culturally adapt a cognitive-behavioral coping with stress prevention intervention for African American adolescents.

2. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-suicide-10-2021-4ceed

Culturally Adapted Stress Management for Preventing ... Research shows that the Adapted-Coping with Stress Course (A-CWS) significantly reduced suicide risk among African American adolescents, with an 86% relative ...

3. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03954457

Social Ecology and the Prevention of Suicide ... The A-CWS is a 15-session, cognitive-behavioral group intervention designed to develop and enhance African American youths' skills for coping with stress.

4. psycnet.apa.org psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-13077-001

Reducing suicidal ideation in African American adolescents This study examines the efficacy of the Adapted-Coping With Stress course (A-CWS), a culturally tailored preventive intervention, to reduce suicidal ideation ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9642973/

Adaptation of the Coping With Stress Course for Black ... The purpose of this article is threefold: (1) to justify the need for cultural adaptations to the CWS Course for Black adolescents from low-income communities, ...

6. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcop.22543

African American adolescent suicidal ideation and ... The A-CWS (Robinson, 2019) is a 15-session, culturally adapted, cognitive-behavioral preventive intervention aimed at enhancing African American ...

7. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/366847329_Social_Support_Coping_for_African_American_Adolescents_Effect_of_a_Culturally_Grounded_Randomized_Controlled_Trial_Intervention

Social Support Coping for African American Adolescents The effect of the Adapted-Coping with Stress (A-CWS) intervention on social support coping was examined, using a randomized controlled trial ...