Culturally Adapted Suicide Prevention for Suicide

(SP-BSC Trial)

Overseen By Miwa Yasui, PhD

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Chicago

Disqualifiers: Not in 6th-8th grade

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

300 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a culturally adapted suicide prevention program specifically for Black middle school students. The goal is to understand how factors like racial identity, socialization, and discrimination impact mental health and suicide risk in Black youth. Researchers will compare two groups: one receiving the new culturally adapted program (Black Youth Suicide Prevention in Chicago) and another receiving the standard Signs of Suicide intervention. The trial seeks students in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade at participating schools. The findings aim to improve mental health support for Black students nationwide. As an unphased trial, this study offers students a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research that could shape future mental health programs.

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 shows that programs tailored to cultural needs can be safe and well-received by participants. The suicide prevention program under testing aims to be effective and appropriate for Black middle school students. Early studies on similar programs have found that participants generally accept and understand them, making students feel comfortable and safe with the material.

While detailed safety data for this new version is not yet available, the original Signs of Suicide program, on which it is based, has been widely used and is generally considered safe. The main goal is to ensure the new program is effective and relevant without causing harm. The pilot study will gather more data to confirm this. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Culturally Adapted Intervention for Black youth suicide prevention because it tailors its approach to the cultural and social contexts of the students it serves. Unlike the standard Signs of Suicide program, which uses a more generalized method, this new intervention specifically addresses the unique experiences and challenges faced by Black youth in Chicago. By focusing on culturally relevant strategies and communication, this intervention aims to create a more relatable and effective prevention method, potentially leading to better engagement and outcomes for students.

What evidence suggests that this trial's interventions could be effective for preventing suicide in Black youth?

Research has shown that programs tailored to the cultural needs of Black youth can help reduce the risk of suicide. In this trial, participants will join one of two groups: a Culturally Adapted Intervention or a Standard/Existing Intervention. One study found that culturally adapted programs, which include elements like racial identity and social experiences, effectively lower the risk of suicide among Black students. This approach addresses specific challenges Black youth face, such as racial discrimination, which can impact their mental health. Evidence from past trials supports the success of these culturally adapted programs in schools, suggesting they could be a promising way to prevent suicide in this group. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Janelle R. Goodwill, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Chicago

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Black middle school students in Chicago. It's focused on understanding and preventing suicide by adapting an existing program to better fit their cultural experiences. Students must be willing to discuss topics like racial identity and discrimination, and participate in assessments before, after, and 3 months post-intervention.

Inclusion Criteria

I am in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade at a participating school.

Exclusion Criteria

I am not in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade at a participating school.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive either a culturally adapted intervention or the standard Signs of Suicide intervention

2 weeks

In-school sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in suicidal ideation, attempts, and knowledge of depression and suicide

3 months

Assessments at baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Black Youth Suicide Prevention in Chicago

Trial Overview The trial tests a culturally adapted Signs of Suicide (SOS) prevention program against the standard SOS program. The goal is to see if the adapted version better addresses factors contributing to suicidality among Black youth through a randomized controlled pilot study.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Culturally Adapted Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Students attending schools assigned to the Culturally Adapted Intervention condition will receive a new culturally adapted intervention developed for this study.

Group II: Standard/Existing Intervention Active Control 1 Intervention

Students attending schools assigned to the Standard/Existing Intervention condition will receive the existing Signs of Suicide intervention.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Chicago

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,086

Recruited

844,000+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Citations

1. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10598131

Piloting a culturally adapted multilevel suicide prevention ... Project Summary/Abstract The goal of this proposed study is to pilot test and evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of a school-based suicide prevention ...

2. trialx.com trialx.com/clinical-trials/listings/304186/piloting-a-culturally-adapted-suicide-prevention-for-black-students-in-chicago/?&radius=10&place=A&user_country=Concord%20N

Piloting a Culturally Adapted Suicide Prevention for Black ... Intervention content will be adapted to assess how topics of racial identity, racial socialization, and racial discrimination uniquely impact ...

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

Black youth suicide is not new: Early contributions, recent ... Suicides among Black youth have surged in recent years, with rates of completed suicides for Black children under age 13 being nearly twofold of that for ...

4. psychiatryonline.org psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.focus.20210034

Black Youth Suicide Crisis: Prevalence Rates, Review of ... An RCT (60) of the A-CWS found that the culturally adapted intervention was efficacious in reducing relative suicide risk among Black ...

5. psycnet.apa.org psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-30474-002

Culturally grounded stress reduction and suicide prevention ... We implemented this adapted school-based suicide prevention intervention ... Culturally adapted mental health intervention: A meta-analytic review.

6. nimh.nih.gov nimh.nih.gov/health/trials/suicide-prevention

Suicide Prevention - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) The purpose of this pilot study is to 1) collect initial feasibility, acceptability, and safety data on this adapted treatment, 2) conduct a pilot randomized ...

7. echo-chicago.org echo-chicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AAP-Blueprint-for-Youth-Suicide-Prevention.pdf

Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention Clinicians should be aware that lethal means safety counseling may involve variations based on culture, family circumstances, or parent/caregivers ...

8. publichealth.jhu.edu publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-08/2023-august-still-ringing-alarm.pdf

Still Ringing the Alarm While not an exhaustive list, these are critically important in thinking about culturally relevant suicide prevention among Black youth.

9. youtube.com youtube.com/watch?v=QKcXccmX02g

Answering the Call: Empowering Communities to Prevent ... Research shows that from 2018 to 2021, Black individuals aged 10-24 experienced a 37% increase in suicide, the largest increase among racial ...