PEACE App Intervention for Suicide Prevention in Veterans
(VA-BIC RCT Trial)
Trial Summary
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 seems focused on using a mobile app and a manual-based intervention to support mental health care.
What data supports the effectiveness of the PEACE App Intervention for Suicide Prevention in Veterans?
Research shows that mobile apps can help manage suicide risk by tracking mood, creating safety plans, and providing access to support networks. Additionally, the REACH VET program successfully identified and connected veterans at risk of suicide with care, suggesting that similar app-based interventions could be effective.12345
How is the PEACE App Intervention treatment for suicide prevention in veterans different from other treatments?
The PEACE App Intervention is unique because it combines VA-BIC (Veterans Affairs Brief Intervention and Contact) with a mobile mental health app, focusing on education, awareness, connection, and engagement to prevent suicide, which is different from traditional treatments that may not integrate technology or emphasize these specific components.56789
What is the purpose of this trial?
The VA is committed to reducing suicide in the U.S. Veteran population. Over 6,000 Veterans die from suicide each year, and this risk is particularly high following a psychiatric hospitalization. This may be due to problems with engagement in care and poor social connectedness. Although the VA has implemented tools to address Veteran suicide risk, suicide after psychiatric discharge remains an ongoing problem. This has highlighted the need to develop new interventions and approaches to post-discharge mental health care within the VA. In response, this project is a randomized control trial of an intervention an intervention called Prevention of suicide: Education, Awareness, Connection, and Engagement (PEACE). This intervention is comprised of two synergistic and promising components to prevent suicide: 1) a mobile mental health app, which aims to improve social connectedness after discharge; and 2) a manual-based intervention called the Veterans Affairs Brief Intervention and Contact Program (VA-BIC), which promotes engagement in care. The overall goal of this study is to determine if the PEACE intervention combined with standard discharge care reduces suicidal ideation as compared to a control group receiving only standard discharge care.
Research Team
Natalie Riblet, MD MPH
Principal Investigator
White River Junction VA Medical Center, White River Junction, VT
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for U.S. Veterans eligible for VA services who were hospitalized due to acute self-harm risk, can speak English, and are willing to use a smartphone app. It excludes those unable to consent or considered vulnerable such as prisoners or involuntarily committed patients.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants receive the PEACE intervention, which includes a mobile mental health app and the VA-BIC program, or standard discharge care
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for suicidal ideation, social connectedness, and engagement in care at one, three, and six months post-discharge
Treatment Details
Interventions
- PEACE
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
VA Office of Research and Development
Lead Sponsor
White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Collaborator