Life Skills Training for Soldiers Arriving at Their First Duty Location

NCT07286955 | Recruiting DMC

• 2 other identifiers: USUHS.2025-162Federal Award # HU00012520025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 5,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This project will evaluate the effectiveness of Level Up: Boost Your Life Skills ("Level Up"), a strengths based, military-specific life skills training program. The goal is to determine whether Level Up can decrease suicidal-related behaviors (SRBs) and other harmful behaviors, improve mental health, enhance job performance, and reduce early military separation. The Level Up program components will be made available to participants through an online platform or mobile app that can be downloaded onto their personal mobile devices. These training materials will help Soldiers learn and practice skills. The Level Up program will also involve personalized messages from a Level Up trainer and virtual booster sessions. Soldiers arriving at their first duty location will be randomized to receive either Level Up or a single session Army bystander intervention program. Participants will complete baseline and follow up surveys 1, 3, and 6 months post-baseline.

Conditions

Risk Reduction Behavior; Suicide Prevention; Risky Behavior; Mental Health; Resilience; Performance at Work

Keywords

Military Health; Suicide Prevention; Harmful Behaviors; Life Skills Training; First Duty Location; Active-duty Military; Risk Reduction; Prevention; Level Up

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• The occurrence of any harmful behavior

  The occurrence of any harmful behavior, either self-reported in follow up surveys or administratively reported

  Within the 12 months after intervention randomization

• The occurrence of any suicide-related behavior

  The occurrence of any suicide-related behavior, either self-reported in follow up surveys or administratively reported

  Within the 12 months after intervention randomization

Secondary Outcomes (33)

• The occurrence of any premature separations from service

  Within the 12 months after intervention randomization

• Poor performance as indicated either by written reprimands, designations in the NCOER, a corrective action plan, remedial training, flagging actions, demotion, Article 15, or barred reenlistment

  Within the 12 months after intervention randomization

• Personal deployment readiness

  Within the 6 months after intervention randomization

• Emotionality

  Within the 6 months after intervention randomization

• Job satisfaction

  Within the 6 months after intervention randomization

Study Arms (2)

Level Up Program

EXPERIMENTAL

The Level Up program is a hybrid intervention combining interactive learning, mobile/online technology, personalized coaching, and on-demand virtual booster sessions. The evidence-based training program was designed to build life skills and coping strategies that can protect against suicide, other harmful behaviors, poor work performance, and premature separation during a Soldier's first duty assignment.

Behavioral: Level Up

ENGAGE Training

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

ENGAGE is an existing single session Army bystander intervention program. The training program is based on bystander intervention and prosocial behavior research.

Behavioral: ENGAGE

Interventions

Level Up BEHAVIORAL

The Level Up program components include: * A 90-minute live group session during Soldiers' in-processing week at their first duty station * A mobile app/online platform/workbook with brief, interactive self-guided exercises in core skill areas (e.g., managing stress, tactical thinking, healthy relationships) * Personalized coaching via messages from trained Level Up staff during the first month of app use * Virtual booster sessions over one year, focused on practical domains like finances, leadership, promotion tips, and personal relationships

Also known as: Life Skills

Level Up Program

ENGAGE BEHAVIORAL

ENGAGE training is a single 90-minute workshop aimed at developing leadership skills and confidence in handling professional and personal confrontations.

ENGAGE Training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Active duty Soldiers arriving at a military installation located in the South Central U.S. for their first duty location who are attending reception center activities

You may not qualify if:

• Soldiers who are not available to attend the in-person training
• Soldiers who are under the age of 18 years old
• Soldiers who do not have a smart phone that supports installation of the mobile app

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences: lead
• Defense Health Agency: collaborator
• Harvard University: collaborator
• Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine: collaborator
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: collaborator
• Massachusetts General Hospital: collaborator
• Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR): collaborator
• University of Michigan: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Fort Hood Installation Reception Center

Fort Hood, Texas, 76544, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Risk Reduction Behavior; Suicide Prevention; Psychological Well-Being

Interventions

engage 8200

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Suicide; Self-Injurious Behavior; Behavioral Symptoms; Personal Satisfaction

Study Officials

• Thomas H Nassif, PhD

  Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Life Skills Study Team

CONTACT

301-295-9711; life-skills-study-ggg@usuhs.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: FED
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 3, 2025
• First Posted: December 16, 2025
• Study Start: December 10, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2029
• Last Updated: January 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)