Disclosure, Social Harm, and Support Activation Study

NCT07730307 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2000034605_c
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 361
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

To characterize how disclosure of suicide or severe emotional distress functions socially in rural eastern Uganda: who people have disclosed to, what happened, what harms resulted, who they would want involved in future support, and under what conditions they would want support activated on their behalf.

Conditions

Mental Illness; Suicidal

Keywords

suicide disclosure

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Social Harm Inventory

  A 10-item inventory of adverse social harms experienced after disclosure: family anger/punishment, community gossip, police involvement, confinement/restraint, forced traditional healing, loss of employment or income, relationship termination, public humiliation, unwanted religious intervention, and other. Each endorsed item rated on a likert scale for severity (mild, moderate, severe) and recency (past month, past year, over a year ago). These likert scales maybe be interpreted numerically (1-mild, 2- moderate, 3- severe and 1-over a year ago, 2- past year, 3- past month) with a higher score indicating higher severity and recency of each of the measured social harms. Scores range from 1 to 3 on each severity and recency scale.

  Through 60 minute survey and interview

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Disclosure Comfort

  Through 60 min Interview and survey period

• Support Activation Preferences

  Through 60 minute interview and survey period

Study Arms (3)

Helpful Disclosure Group

Participants whose disclosure led to a supportive response. Interviews explore what made it work: who they told, how they told them, what the person did, and what conditions enabled a positive outcome.

Other: Survey Questionnaire

Harmful Disclosure Group

Participants who experienced social harm after disclosure (whether voluntary or involuntary). Interviews reconstruct the harm sequence: what happened, who was involved, what the consequences were, and what could have prevented it.

Other: Survey Questionnaire

Never Disclosed Group

Participants who have experienced severe distress but never told anyone. Interviews explore what prevented disclosure, what they feared, and what would have to be different for them to feel safe disclosing.

Other: Survey Questionnaire

Interventions

Survey Questionnaire OTHER

Survey capturing disclosure history (who was told, when, why, how), disclosure outcomes (what happened, what harms resulted), disclosure comfort (willingness to tell specific people under specific conditions), social harm inventory (lifetime and recent harms following disclosure), preferred support persons and conditions for activation, and willingness to be screened

Harmful Disclosure Group; Helpful Disclosure Group; Never Disclosed Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of adults aged 18 years or older living in rural eastern Uganda who have experienced suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt, a period of severe depressive distress lasting at least two weeks, or prior disclosure of suicidality or severe emotional distress. Participants will be recruited through outpatient clinic visits, community health worker referrals, and participant-mediated referrals. Individuals who are currently in an acute suicidal crisis with intent or a plan will be referred for immediate support and enrolled only after stabilization, while those unable to consent or complete the survey safely will be excluded or reconsidered later. The study plans to enroll 80-100 participants in the quantitative survey, with 20-30 purposively selected for qualitative interviews representing helpful, harmful or forced, mixed, and non-disclosure experiences

You may qualify if:

• Meets at least one of the following:
• self-reports a history of suicidal ideation or attempt,
• self-reports a period of severe depressive distress (persistent sadness, hopelessness, withdrawal lasting ≥2 weeks), or
• has previously disclosed suicidal thoughts or severe distress to another person
• Able and willing to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Currently in acute suicidal crisis with intent or plan (activate safeguarding protocol, defer enrollment to after stabilization)
• Unable to engage in a 25-30 minute survey without significant distress

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Yale University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Empower to Heal- Uganda

Mpunde, Buyende District, Uganda

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Mental Disorders

Interventions

Surveys and Questionnaires

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health

Study Officials

• Yang Jae Lee, MD

  Yale University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Yang Jae Lee, MD

CONTACT

7066919813; leeyjae@uw.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 23, 2026
• First Posted: July 28, 2026
• Study Start: May 25, 2026
• Primary Completion: August 1, 2026
• Study Completion: August 1, 2026
• Last Updated: July 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

UG (1)