Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Thoughts

No longer recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Yovanska Duarte-Velez, PhD

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Bradley Hospital

Disqualifiers: Psychosis, severe substance use, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

Duration: 12 months

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether a new therapy approach, Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Behavior (SCBT-SB), can better assist Latinx teens with severe suicidal thoughts or recent attempts compared to standard care. SCBT-SB considers the cultural backgrounds and unique perspectives of Latinx families to determine if this improves mental health outcomes. Teens from Latinx communities who have experienced severe suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide within the last three months may be suitable for this study. Participants and their caregivers should be comfortable with either Spanish or English. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could lead to more culturally sensitive mental health treatments.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that this treatment protocol is safe for Latinx adolescents?

Research has shown that Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Behavior (SCBT-SB) holds promise for safety and effectiveness. In a previous study, participants who completed the treatment showed significant improvements, including a reduced risk of suicide. Another study found that suicidal thoughts decreased in 63% of those who received SCBT-SB, suggesting it is generally well-tolerated and potentially effective. While these results are encouraging, SCBT-SB remains under study, and further research is necessary to fully understand its safety. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Behavior (SCBT-SB) because it’s a culturally centered approach that targets suicidal thoughts by integrating socio-cultural factors into therapy. Unlike traditional cognitive behavioral therapies that primarily focus on altering thought patterns, SCBT-SB takes into account the social and cultural context of the individual, making it potentially more relatable and effective for diverse populations. This personalized approach could enhance engagement and outcomes, especially in communities where cultural considerations significantly influence mental health experiences.

What evidence suggests that Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy might be an effective treatment for suicidal thoughts?

Research has shown that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help reduce suicidal thoughts and actions. One study found that CBT led to significant positive changes and lowered the risk of suicide in participants. Another study demonstrated that CBT helped decrease suicidal and self-harming behaviors over time. In this trial, participants will receive either Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Behavior (SCBT-SB) or treatment as usual. A pilot study of SCBT-SB revealed major improvements and a reduced risk of suicide in participants. Overall, CBT, including SCBT-SB, appears promising in reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. ^{1 3 4 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Yovanska Duarte-Velez, PhD

Principal Investigator

Bradley Hospital

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Latinx adolescents experiencing severe suicidal thoughts or who have attempted suicide in the last 3 months. Participants must be fluent in Spanish or English and have a caregiver willing to join. They can't take part if they have a severe substance use disorder, an IQ below 85, or psychosis.

Inclusion Criteria

You were either born in a Latin American country or have a biological parent, grandparent, or ancestor who was born in a Latin American country.

You have had suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide in the last 3 months or have a high score on a test for suicidal thoughts.

I, and my legal guardian if I'm an adolescent, can communicate fluently in English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria

You have a severe addiction to drugs or alcohol according to a standardized guide called DSM-5.

You have a lower than average IQ score indicating cognitive impairment.

You have a mental illness called psychosis.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive either the SCBT-SB or Treatment as Usual at a community mental health clinic

12 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

12 months

Follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Behavior (SCBT-SB)

Trial Overview The study compares culturally centered Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (SCBT) with standard treatment to see if it better helps Latinx youth with suicidal behavior and depression by considering their cultural background.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: SCBT-SB Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

A culturally centered CBT treatment protocol called Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Behavior (SCBT-SB)

Group II: Treatment as Usual Active Control 1 Intervention

Treatment as usual is base on the standard care for teens and their parents under a community mental health center.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Bradley Hospital

Lead Sponsor

Trials

22

Recruited

1,900+

Brown University

Collaborator

Trials

480

Recruited

724,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6424518/

Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Behavior with ... Outcomes of a small open pilot using the SCBT-SB showed that treatment completers had clinically significant positive changes and reductions in suicide risk ...

2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30906875/

Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal ... Conclusions: The SCBT-SB was feasible to implement and proved acceptable to the client and his family. Keywords: adolescence; cognitive behavioral therapy; ...

3. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1672957/full

The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy on reducing ... The results of this study indicate that CBT is effective in reducing the incidence of suicidal and self-harming behaviors across short-, medium-, and long-term ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005789425001145

Massed brief cognitive behavioral therapy (mBCBT) for ... Daily BCBT sessions daily (“massed” BCBT) could accelerate suicide risk reductions. In massed BCBT, clinical outcomes improved within 2-3 weeks.

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032722009235

The significance of cognitive-behavioral therapy on suicide The main findings are that CBT reduced suicide, including suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and effect size of CBT on suicide was small.

6. nimhd.nih.gov nimhd.nih.gov/news-events/research-spotlight/socio-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-suicidal-behaviors-shows-promise

Socio-Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal ... - NIMHD Suicidal ideation was reduced in the SCBT-SB group in 63% of the ... Data at 12 months favor SCBT-SB over treatment as usual. Suicide ...

7. researchgate.net researchgate.net/figure/Socio-Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatment-for-Suicidal-Behavior-Protocol_tbl3_296475075

Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Suicidal ... This study evaluated the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a socio-cognitive-behavioral therapy protocol for SB (SCBT-SB) with L/H adolescents and the ...