Caring Cards to and From Veterans: A Peer Approach to Suicide Prevention

NCT04486677 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: D3445-P
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Veteran suicide is a national problem; social disconnection is an important contributor to suicide risk. This pilot study will recruit Veterans to take part in a peer-centered intervention called Caring Cards (CC). CC gives Veterans who have a history of increased suicide risk the opportunity to make cards that are then sent to Veterans who are currently at high-risk for suicide. This study will directly benefit Veterans and contribute to the quality of services provided by VA by creating a safe, creative space for Veterans with lived experience related to suicide risk to join together to provide messages of hope, community, and resilience to their peers at risk for suicide. Helping Veterans support one another provides a bridge for social connection, which may help prevent Veteran suicide. This intervention may also improve Veterans' satisfaction with VA healthcare and engagement with mental health treatment.

Conditions

Feasibility; Acceptability; Thwarted Belongingness; Perceived Burdensomeness; Suicide Risk; Social Connectedness

Keywords

Veterans; Suicide; Thwarted belongingness; Perceived burdensomeness; Social connectedness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Feasibility

  Feasibility will be measured by the proportion of Veterans 1) referred for screening, 2) determined eligible, 3) enrolled/completed baseline, and 4) complete follow-up assessments.

  Through study completion, approximately 1 year, 8 months

• Intervention Satisfaction Questionnaire (Acceptability)

  Intervention Satisfaction Questionnaire will be collected from participants following intervention delivery to measure acceptability of the Caring Cards intervention.

  Through study completion, approximately 1 year, 8 months

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ-15)

  Change from baseline, an average of 9 months

• Suicide Risk

  Change from baseline, an average of 9 months

• NIH Toolbox Adult Social Relationships Scales

  Change from baseline, an average of 9 months

Study Arms (2)

Caring Cards Group

OTHER

Group of Veteran card-makers.

Behavioral: Caring Cards Group

Caring Cards Recipients

OTHER

Group of Veteran card-recipients.

Behavioral: Caring Cards Recipients

Interventions

Caring Cards Group BEHAVIORAL

Group of Veteran card-makers.

Caring Cards Group

Caring Cards Recipients BEHAVIORAL

Group of Veteran card-recipients.

Caring Cards Recipients

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• For card-makers:
• VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) Veteran with an inactive high-risk flag,
• years of age or older,
• access to transportation to attend the group (if held in person)
• if groups are held remotely due to COVID-19, access to reliable technology and WiFi to participate via WebEx
• decisional capacity.
• For card-recipients:
• VASDHS Veteran with an active high-risk flag,
• years of age or older, and
• decisional capacity.

You may not qualify if:

• For card-makers and recipients:
• the absence of a mailing address or working phone number,
• inability to read and writer in English, and
• previous or current experience with Caring Cards.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• VA Office of Research and Development: lead

Study Sites (1)

VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA

San Diego, California, 92161-0002, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Suicide

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Self-Injurious Behavior; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Emily Treichler
• Organization: VA San Diego

emily.treichler@va.gov

6192288075

Study Officials

• Eric L Granholm, PhD

  VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: FED
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: The current study is a single-site, 2-year pilot trial that employs an open-trial, pre/post research design. This study's primary aim is to establish the feasibility and acceptability of Caring Cards for Veterans, a peer-centered intervention that facilitates suicide prevention and social connectedness.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 29, 2020
• First Posted: July 24, 2020
• Study Start: January 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: September 1, 2022
• Study Completion: November 30, 2022
• Last Updated: May 2, 2024
• Results First Posted: May 2, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Beginning 3 months and ending 5 years following article publication.
• Access Criteria: Final data sets underlying publications resulting from this research will be shared upon written request. Requests for access must be made in writing signed by a requestor from the United States and include an email address for delivery and an assurance that the recipient will not attempt to identify or re-identify any individual. The request should reference the publication underlying the request. Requests may be made to the Principal Investigator/lead point-of-contact for the publication. If the investigator leaves the VASDHS the requests may be sent to the Associate Chief of Staff for Research.

Locations

US (1)