Crisis Line Training for Suicide Prevention in National Guard Members

(CONNECT Trial)

Overseen By Amanda Price

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Michigan

Disqualifiers: Unable to provide informed consent

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

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to increase awareness and use of the Military and Veterans Crisis Line (MVCL) among members of the Michigan Army National Guard. The trial will compare two approaches: a group training session called Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) and a simple educational brochure. The goal is to determine which strategy more effectively encourages use of the crisis line. The trial seeks members of the Michigan Army National Guard who belong to units with more than 25 people. As an unphased trial, it offers participants the chance to contribute to important research that could improve support services for military personnel.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

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

What prior data suggests that this training protocol is safe for National Guard members?

Research has shown that Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) is a promising method to help National Guard members access the Military and Veterans Crisis Line. Although specific safety data is limited, CLF involves brief, focused sessions rather than long-term treatment, which often results in participants handling it well due to fewer opportunities for side effects compared to medication-based treatments.

The trial is labeled "Not Applicable" for phase, indicating a focus on training methods rather than drug testing. This typically implies fewer safety risks, as these interventions center on education or behavior change rather than medication, which often carries more side effects.

In summary, while direct safety data for CLF is limited, the intervention's nature suggests it should be well-tolerated by participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) approach because it directly addresses personal obstacles that National Guard members might face when seeking help from the Military and Veteran's Crisis Line during times of increased suicidal risk. Unlike traditional methods that rely on providing informational resources, CLF is a hands-on strategy designed to actively encourage and increase the use of crisis lines by overcoming individual-level barriers. This proactive and personalized approach could lead to more effective intervention and support for those at risk, potentially saving lives by ensuring that help is just a phone call away.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for suicide prevention in National Guard members?

Research has shown that Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF), one approach tested in this trial, effectively encourages National Guard members to use the Military and Veterans Crisis Line (MVCL). This method addresses personal obstacles that might prevent them from calling the crisis line when at risk of suicide. Early results suggest that CLF increases awareness and use of the crisis line. By tackling these obstacles, CLF aims to improve the likelihood of seeking help, which is crucial for preventing suicide in this high-risk group. Another approach in this trial, Passive Implementation, provides an educational resource brochure about the MVCL and other mental health services available to National Guard members. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Mark Ilgen, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Michigan

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Michigan Army National Guard members who are part of a unit with over 25 people. Participants must be able to understand the study and agree to join it voluntarily, meaning they can provide informed consent.

Inclusion Criteria

Michigan Army National Guard member

Associated with a unit with more than 25 members

Exclusion Criteria

I am unable to understand and give consent for treatment.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Training

Participants undergo group-based training sessions to increase awareness and use of the Military and Veterans Crisis Line (MVCL)

1-2 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for utilization of the Military and Veterans Crisis Line (MVCL) via self-report survey items

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF)
• Passive Implementation

Trial Overview The study tests if group training sessions can increase awareness and usage of the Military and Veterans Crisis Line among National Guard members, potentially helping reduce suicide rates within this community.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) is a promising translational strategy designed to increase Military and Veteran's Crisis Line (MVCL) use among NG members during periods of elevated suicidal risk by addressing individual-level barriers.

Group II: Passive Implementation Active Control 1 Intervention

The PI condition includes an educational resource brochure describing the Military and Veteran's Crisis Line (MVCL), including the phone number for the crisis line, as well as other mental health services available to National Guard members.

Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for:

• Suicidal crisis intervention
• Mental health support

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Michigan

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,891

Recruited

6,458,000+

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Collaborator

Trials

902

Recruited

25,020,000+

Michigan Army National Guard

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

540+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Volunteers at a Norwegian crisis line reported a significant challenge in reconciling their expectations of providing suicide prevention with the reality that many calls were for ongoing support related to loneliness and mental health issues.

The study suggests that training programs for crisis line volunteers should include strategies for addressing the ongoing support needs of callers, ensuring a more uniform response to various concerns.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Caught Between Expectations and the Practice Field. Vattø, IE., Lien, L., DeMarinis, V., et al.[2022]

A review of 33 studies on crisis line services found that while these services aim to reduce psychological distress and suicide risk, high-quality evidence demonstrating their effectiveness is lacking, with most studies rated at high risk of bias.

Most studies focused only on immediate outcomes during the crisis, highlighting the need for future research to assess both short-term and long-term impacts on behavioral health treatment engagement and self-directed violence.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Effectiveness of Crisis Line Services: A Systematic Review. Hoffberg, AS., Stearns-Yoder, KA., Brenner, LA.[2020]

The Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) intervention, which includes education about the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) and practice calls, showed a significant reduction in suicidal behaviors among high-risk Veterans compared to Enhanced Usual Care over a 12-month follow-up period.

Despite the positive impact on suicidal behaviors, the CLF intervention did not significantly increase the utilization of the VCL among participants, indicating that while it may help prevent crises, it does not necessarily encourage Veterans to reach out for help through the VCL.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Encouraging the use of the Veterans Crisis Line among high-risk Veterans: A randomized trial of a Crisis Line Facilitation intervention. Ilgen, MA., Price, AM., Coughlin, LN., et al.[2023]

Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) is a brief intervention aimed at increasing the use of the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) among high-risk Veterans, addressing barriers to its use and providing psychoeducational support.

Preliminary results from a study with 301 participants indicate that Veterans who received CLF reported significantly greater comfort and confidence in using the VCL during crises compared to those who did not receive the intervention.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Developing and testing Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) to encourage help-seeking in adults receiving inpatient treatment for a suicidal crisis. Ilgen, MA., Stewart, HJ., Lhermitte, SL., et al.[2021]

The Lifeline Crisis Chat Network significantly reduced distress among users, with two-thirds of suicidal chatters finding the chat helpful and nearly half reporting decreased suicidal thoughts after the intervention.

This study provides strong evidence for the effectiveness of online crisis interventions, which is especially important as the Lifeline prepares to expand its services with the new 988 nationwide number for mental health crises.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline crisis chat interventions: Evaluation of chatters' perceptions of effectiveness. Gould, MS., Chowdhury, S., Lake, AM., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7931251/

Developing and testing Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) to ... This paper describes the development of Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) a brief intervention, designed to increase use of the VCL in this high-risk population.

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1077722920300523

Developing and Testing Crisis Line Facilitation to ... This paper describes the development of Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) a brief intervention, designed to increase use of the VCL in this high-risk population.

3. mentalhealth.va.gov mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/2024/2024-Annual-Report-Part-1-of-2_508.pdf

2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report This 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report presents the most current and comprehensive data on suicide among U.S. Veterans and non-Veteran ...

4. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05405231

Connecting National Guard Service Members Through ... Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) is a promising translational strategy designed to increase MVCL use among NG members during periods of elevated suicidal risk by ...

5. injurycenter.umich.edu injurycenter.umich.edu/project/publish-42/

Translation of a Crisis Line Facilitation (MVCL) for Suicide ... The proposed translation project will conduct a Hybrid Type I Effectiveness-Implementation Trial testing group-based Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) vs. passive ...

6. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02459587

Study Details | NCT02459587 | Crisis Line Facilitation This study is a randomized controlled trial (n = 301) of a new single-session intervention, called Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF), compared to an enhanced usual ...