A Multi-Generational Suicide Prevention Program in African American Churches
George Washington University
Summary
HAVEN=CONNECT is a comprehensive depression and suicide prevention intervention that is designed to be integrated into predominantly Black churches, a strategically ideal location for mental health intervention for Black youth. HAVEN=CONNECT has three components: (1) Church Community Engagement: an interactive process of introducing the program to key church leaders and stakeholder groups. (2) Faith-Based Curriculum: educational overview for pastors, other ministerial staff and youth lay leaders on how to integrate the program into the church using communication mediums that have cultural and religious relevance in the Black Church context. (3) Youth-Connect Intervention: The goals of this project are to test the impact of HAVEN=CONNECT (HAVEN) on key intervention targets, hypothesized mediators, and build a research-informed implementation strategy for future large-scale testing.
Description
Aim 1: Efficacy. The investigators will implement HAVEN in 12 churches using a cluster randomized waitlist design and enroll 240 adolescents (ages 13-19). The investigators hypothesize that adolescents in HAVEN churches vs. those in wait-listed churches will have decreased depression symptoms (primary outcome) and suicide risk scores at 1-month and 6-month follow-up after the start of the multi-component HAVEN. Suicide risk will be a secondary outcome due to lower expected statistical power to detect impact vs. depression. The investigators also expect HAVEN to decrease other mental health sym…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 13–19 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: For churches: 1. 75% of members self-identify as Black or African American, 2. 75% are fluent in English. Exclusion Criteria for Youth: 1. self-identify as Black/African American, 2. 13-19 years old, are fluent in English Exclusion Criteria: Churches: 1. 25%+ of members self-identify as non-Black or African American 2. 25%+ are not fluent in English. Exclusion Criteria for Youth: 1. do not self-identify as Black/African American, 2. are younger than 13 or older than 19.
Interventions
- BehavioralHAVEN-Connect
Youth-Connect Program for adolescents/emerging adults and Connect training for adult members is a strength-based network health depression and suicide prevention program. Participants learn together about and model skills to each other to grow and sustain "Four Cores" supportive of mental health and reduced likelihood of vulnerability to suicidal thoughts: (1) Healthy relationships and accountability spanning friendship, community and family relationships (Kinship); (2) Meaning and value in life (Purpose); (3) Informal and formal help-seeking (Guidance); and (4) Activities that give strength and balance emotions (Balance). Modules include self-assessment of strength areas, needs and using Four Cores to manage challenging emotions. Group skill-building activities identify strengths of all members, and members learn how a strong network supports all members' well-being. The training uses active learning including high energy activities and peer-to-peer teaching.
- BehavioralHAVEN Suicide Prevention
Connect was developed to extend Sources of Strength, an evidence-based suicide prevention program that trains key opinion leaders to disseminate a model of healthy coping to peers, which has been implemented in over 80 secondary schools in New York State. Connect uses a multiple-session group training to build suicide protection at individual and group levels. The first version, Wingman-Connect was developed for young Air Force personnel in training (20% Black or multiracial).
Locations (2)
- Mt. Sinai Hospital; Ichon School of MedicineNew York, New York
- University of Rochester Medical CenterRochester, New York