Piloting a Culturally Adapted Suicide Prevention for Black Students in Chicago

NCT07125144 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: R34MH129789
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 300
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Suicide has been the third leading cause of death for Black youth in the U.S since the 1980s and persists as a leading cause of death for Black youth today. For example, in 2018 suicide was reported as the 2nd leading cause of death among Black Americans ages 10 to14 years old. Findings yielded from recent queries indicate that the gap in suicides among Black males and female youth has narrowed in recent years. Despite these disturbing trends, a dearth persists in our understanding of the factors that contribute to and prevent against suicide in Black youth, thus diminishing researchers' ability to effectively detect suicide risk in this particular population. This project aims to redress this gap by proposing the cultural adaptation of an existing suicide prevention intervention, the Signs of Suicide (SOS) prevention program, for Black middle school students. Our team will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial among a sample of Black middle school students to assess feasibility and examine underlying mechanisms that contribute to suicidality among Black youth. Intervention content will be adapted to assess how topics of racial identity, racial socialization, and racial discrimination uniquely impact Black youth's mental health experiences and risk for suicide. Measures of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempt will be assessed at pre-test, post-test, and 3-months after the intervention. Findings derived from this project will contribute to public health priorities by offering unique insight into the factors that either prevent or promote suicide among Black youth and could be replicated in other schools serving Black students across the nation.

Conditions

Suicide; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide Attempt

Keywords

Black; youth; suicide; suicide prevention; intervention; Signs of Suicide; Cultural Adaptation; Chicago; African American; Adolescent

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Suicidal Ideation

  Item that asks students to report if they have seriously considered suicide

  Baseline, 2 weeks after baseline, 3-months after baseline

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Suicide Attempt

  Baseline, 2 weeks after baseline, 3-months after baseline

• Knowledge of Depression and Suicide

  Baseline, 2 weeks after baseline, 3-months after baseline

• Attitudes Towards Depression and Suicide

  Baseline, 2 weeks after baseline, 3-months after baseline

Study Arms (2)

Standard/Existing Intervention

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Students attending schools assigned to the Standard/Existing Intervention condition will receive the existing Signs of Suicide intervention.

Behavioral: Signs of Suicide: Standard/Existing

Culturally Adapted Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Students attending schools assigned to the Culturally Adapted Intervention condition will receive a new culturally adapted intervention developed for this study.

Behavioral: Black Youth Suicide Prevention in Chicago

Interventions

Black Youth Suicide Prevention in Chicago BEHAVIORAL

The Culturally Adapted intervention uses intervention video content that specifically addresses topics that shape Black youth's psychological wellbeing and development. The goal of this intervention is to share suicide prevention information in ways that are culturally responsive and attentive to the specific needs of Black adolescents.

Culturally Adapted Intervention

Signs of Suicide: Standard/Existing BEHAVIORAL

Students attending schools assigned to the Standard/Existing Intervention condition will receive the Signs of Suicide curriculum.

Standard/Existing Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 11 Years - 15 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Enrolled in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade at a participating school

You may not qualify if:

• Not enrolled in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade at a participating school

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Chicago: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Suicide; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide, Attempted; Suicide Prevention

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Self-Injurious Behavior; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Janelle R. Goodwill, PhD

  University of Chicago

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Janelle R Goodwill, PhD

CONTACT

773-834-5114; jgoodwill@uchicago.edu

Miwa Yasui, PhD

CONTACT

773-702-5187; myasui@uchicago.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Neubauer Family Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 4, 2025
• First Posted: August 15, 2025
• Study Start: January 30, 2025
• Primary Completion: March 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2026
• Last Updated: August 15, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: ICF
• Time Frame: Specific data will be submitted to and hosted on the NIMH Data Archive website.
• Access Criteria: Specified data will be shared in compliance with NIMH Data Archive guidelines.

Locations

US (1)