Wingman-Connect for Suicide Prevention

Overseen By Bryan Yates, BS

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Rochester

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 12

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial focuses on testing a program called Wingman-Connect to help prevent suicide among U.S. Air Force personnel. The goal is to determine if the program can reduce suicide attempts by strengthening social connections and promoting healthy coping strategies. The trial involves new Airmen at eight different Air Force bases. It suits first-term Airmen who are just arriving at these bases and are ready to participate in training sessions designed to build positive social networks. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to innovative research aimed at enhancing mental health support within the Air Force community.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants must stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Wingman-Connect training is safe for Airmen?

Research has shown that the Wingman-Connect program is promising in reducing suicidal thoughts and depression. Studies have found that it helps participants form healthy, supportive social groups, which can be important for preventing mental health issues.

Although specific safety data for the program is limited, no reports of harm or negative effects have emerged from participation. The program emphasizes building strong friendships and promoting healthy coping methods, which are generally safe activities.

In summary, despite limited direct safety data, the program's goals and previous positive results suggest it is well-tolerated. Participants can expect support and connection without known risks. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about Wingman-Connect for suicide prevention because it takes a fresh approach by focusing on strengthening social connections and promoting healthy coping norms within a community, specifically targeting Airmen. Unlike traditional treatments that might focus solely on individual therapy or medication, Wingman-Connect leverages the power of social networks to create a supportive environment. By enhancing positive social bonds and encouraging adaptive coping strategies, it offers a proactive way to build resilience and prevent suicidal thoughts before they arise. This approach is particularly promising as it aims to create lasting changes within groups, potentially offering broader, community-wide benefits.

What evidence suggests that Wingman-Connect is effective for suicide prevention?

Research has shown that the Wingman-Connect program, which participants in this trial will receive, helps reduce suicidal thoughts and depression in Airmen. In earlier studies, participants reported fewer suicidal actions and felt more connected to others. The program builds strong social bonds and teaches healthy coping strategies for stress. These positive changes appeared within just one month of starting. Overall, the Wingman-Connect program effectively helps Airmen form supportive relationships and improve their mental health, which can lower the risk of suicide. ^{1 2 3 5 6}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for US Air Force bases, specifically those in the Air Force Global Strike Command and Air Mobility Command. It involves around 96 implementers responsible for delivering Wingman-Connect training to first-term Airmen, with an estimated total of 17,400 Airmen participating across all bases.

Inclusion Criteria

Data from bases in the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) & Air Mobility Command (AMC) MajComs

96 implementers (4-5 per base over at each data point, and 8-12 respondents per site across the study period)

Exclusion Criteria

Not applicable.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Implementation

Implementation of Wingman-Connect by the USAF will occur over 51 months, with staggered implementation based on a randomized stepped-wedge design.

51 months

Data collection every 6 months

Data Collection

Data collection from USAF prevention personnel and analysis of base-level suicide attempt rates.

51 months

Every 6 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in base-level suicide attempt rates after implementation.

4 years

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Wingman-Connect

Trial Overview

The study tests the impact of Wingman-Connect, a suicide prevention program implemented at eight operational AF bases. The effectiveness will be measured by analyzing base-level suicide attempt rates before and after the intervention over a period of 51 months using a randomized stepped-wedge design.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Wingman-Connect Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Wingman-Connect (Wyman et al., 2020) uses a network health theoretical framework to strengthen two suicide-protective functions of social networks: 1) Strengthening positive social bonds, and 2) Building healthy norms that incentivize adaptive coping. Training will be delivered in First Term Airmen classes among all Airmen arriving at base during the study period.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Rochester

Lead Sponsor

Trials

883

Recruited

555,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The web-based adverse event tracking system (eAETS) has effectively supported 175 clinical protocols over four years, capturing 2,440 adverse event reports, including minor symptoms that could indicate serious issues.

Out of the reported AEs, 1,053 did not align with the initial risk profiles, leading to corrective recommendations in 13% of the protocols, highlighting the system's role in enhancing subject safety by identifying unanticipated patterns.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of minor adverse event tracking on subject safety: a web-based system. Shenvi, NV., Gebhart, SS.[2009]

Caring Contacts, which are supportive text messages sent to military personnel at risk of suicide, showed a significant reduction in the odds of experiencing suicidal ideation and attempts compared to standard care, suggesting they may be a valuable addition to mental health interventions.

While the primary outcomes did not show significant effects, the secondary outcomes indicated that participants receiving Caring Contacts had lower rates of suicidal ideation and attempts, highlighting the potential of this low-cost intervention in preventing suicidality among military service members.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of Augmenting Standard Care for Military Personnel With Brief Caring Text Messages for Suicide Prevention: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Comtois, KA., Kerbrat, AH., DeCou, CR., et al.[2022]

A qualitative study involving experienced suicide researchers revealed significant challenges in defining and reporting adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) in suicide prevention trials, which complicates safety evaluations.

Participants emphasized the urgent need for clear and consistent definitions and reporting standards for AEs and SAEs to improve the comparability of studies and enhance safety monitoring in at-risk populations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Variability in the definition and reporting of adverse events in suicide prevention trials: an examination of the issues and a proposed solution. Oquendo, MA., Feldman, S., Silverman, E., et al.[2022]

The study aims to adapt the Caring Contacts suicide prevention approach for use in a VA emergency department, targeting veterans during a critical transition period after discharge.

A pilot program will be conducted to gather qualitative data from staff and stakeholders, which will help create an implementation toolkit for spreading this effective intervention to other VA facilities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adapting and implementing Caring Contacts in a Department of Veterans Affairs emergency department: a pilot study protocol. Landes, SJ., Kirchner, JE., Areno, JP., et al.[2022]

In the ED-SAFE study, structured telephone follow-up assessments were crucial for identifying adverse events (AEs), detecting 45% of total AEs that were missed by chart reviews alone.

The detection of suicide attempts varied significantly by method, with structured follow-ups identifying 59% of attempts compared to only 18% through chart reviews, highlighting the importance of using multiple detection methods in suicide research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using structured telephone follow-up assessments to improve suicide-related adverse event detection. Arias, SA., Zhang, Z., Hillerns, C., 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]

A pharmacovigilance analysis of over 85,000 cases from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System identified specific drug combinations and indications that may increase the risk of suicide, highlighting the complexity of suicide risk factors.

The study suggests that certain demographic groups may be more affected by these drug combinations, indicating a need for further research to validate these findings and improve suicide prevention strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mining Drugs and Indications for Suicide-Related Adverse Events. Ding, T., Chen, ES.[2020]

Citations

1.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7578767/

Effect of the Wingman-Connect Upstream Suicide ...

The Wingman-Connect program reduced suicidal ideation, depression symptoms, and occupational problems at 1 month by fostering cohesive, healthy classes.

2.

safesideprevention.com

safesideprevention.com/articles/promising-outcomes-of-wingman-connect-program-in-reducing-suicidal-behavior-among-us-air-force-personnel

Promising Outcomes of Wingman-Connect Program…

The results were compelling, indicating a marked decrease in the onset of psychiatric conditions and suicidal actions among participants of the Wingman-Connect ...

3.

sciencedirect.com

sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953622000405

Wingman-Connect Program increases social integration for ...

Primary outcomes were social network metrics based on Airmen nominations of valued classmates after 1 month. Baseline CAT-SS >34 defined elevated suicide risk.

4.

reporter.nih.gov

reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11145141

Project Details - NIH RePORTER

This proposed Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation trial tests the effectiveness of the Wingman-Connect Program on individual suicide risk and on base-level ...

5.

withpower.com

withpower.com/trial/phase-suicide-5-2024-55faa

Wingman-Connect for Suicide Prevention

This trial tests the Wingman-Connect training program, which helps new Airmen build strong social connections and healthy coping habits to prevent suicide.

6.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35131614/

Wingman-Connect Program increases social integration for ...

Wingman-Connect Program increases social integration for Air Force personnel at elevated suicide risk: Social network analysis of a cluster RCT · Authors.