Suicide Prevention for Substance Using Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Ohio State University
Summary
Suicide is the leading cause of death among YEH and most youth do not access services that may be available to them. Therefore, this study seeks to address this gap in the research literature with the goal to identify an effective intervention that can be readily adopted by communities that serve these youth. We will test the effects of outreach-worker delivered Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CTSP)+Services as Usual (SAU) versus SAU alone on suicidal ideation (primary outcome), substance use and depressive symptoms (secondary outcomes) at 3, 6, 9 and 12- months.
Description
While research on substance using youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) is increasing, there is a dearth of information regarding effective prevention interventions for these youth. This is of significant concern because studies indicate that 66% to 89% of YEH have a mental health disorder and 68% report at least one suicide attempt . In fact, suicide is the leading cause of death among YEH. Among those who have attempted suicide, an average of 6.2 attempts is reported, and lifetime suicidal ideation rates range from 14% to 66.5% with no clear evidence of effective interventions for YEH. This…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 15–24 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * 15-24 years * SSI-W score \> 4 or at least one suicide attempt in prior 12 months * Meets criteria for homelessness * At least four uses of alcohol/drugs in prior 30 days Exclusion Criteria: * Youth requires psychiatric hospitalization
Interventions
- BehavioralCognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention
10 sessions of cognitive therapy for suicide prevention plus 9 optional booster sessions
- BehavioralServices as Usual
Participants will receive services that they would normally receive in the community.
Location
- The Ohio State UniversityColumbus, Ohio