Testing the Use of VA Peer Specialists to Prevent Veteran Suicide
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
This study examines a novel way to prevent suicide among Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI). It will assess the efficacy of PREVAIL-VA, a 3-month intervention of 12, one-on-one sessions between a Peer Specialist (PS) and a Veteran that involve semi-structured conversations focused on hope, belongingness, support, and safety. PSs are Veterans with SMI trained to use their own experience and recovery to help other Veterans with SMI. PSs have improved mental health outcomes in other research, but this study would be the first to test their efficacy for suicide prevention in VHA. The project will compare outcomes of Veterans at risk for suicide receiving usual care, to PREVAIL-VA. This work is responsive to national calls for Veterans with SMI to receive support that is evidence-based, improves recovery (not just symptoms), and is tailored to individual needs. If successful, PREVAIL-VA could be adopted by the 1400 Peer Specialists employed in VA, greatly increasing the delivery of evidence-based services to Veterans at risk for suicide.
Description
BACKGROUND: Suicide is a top priority for the VA, claiming about 6,000 Veterans each year. VA suicide services primarily focus on immediate response to increased suicide risk but lack a focus on recovery, conceptualized by VHA as an internal process of hope, healing, empowerment, and social reconnection. The lack of a recovery focus in suicide prevention is a gap in VHA care quality. VHA Peer Specialists (PSs)-Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI) who are trained to use their experience to help other Veterans with SMI as full-fledged employees (\~1,400 VA-wide)-could improve the quality o…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: There are two Inclusion criteria: * Moderate to high suicide risk according to one of the following occurring in the prior 3 months: * a completed Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation (CSRE) indicating intermediate or high acute or chronic risk * a high-risk suicide PRF * a suicide attempt indicated on a Suicide Behavior or Overdose Report (SBOR) * a suicide safety plan completed in the past 6 months AND * Current suicidal ideation according to the 9th item of the Patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) \> 0 at enrollment * While a positive 9th item usually pr…
Interventions
- BehavioralPREVAIL
12 session, peer specialist delivered, suicide prevention program
Locations (3)
- Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MDBaltimore, Maryland
- VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MIAnn Arbor, Michigan
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PAPittsburgh, Pennsylvania