Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Sep 5, 2024
Date Accepted: Jul 8, 2025
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A recovery-oriented suicide prevention program led by peer specialists for veterans with serious mental illness: A protocol paper
ABSTRACT
Background:
Veterans diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI) (e.g., bipolar disorder or schizophrenia), experience significantly elevated suicide risk compared to their peers without SMI. This group may also experience cognitive and functional impairments that complicate current suicide prevention standards of care.
Objective:
Therefore, we detail a pilot trial protocol evaluating a novel suicide-focused SMI-tailored program called SUicide Prevention by Peers Offering Recovery Tactics (SUPPORT).
Methods:
Employing a community-engagement development approach with peer specialists, veterans with SMI, and scientific experts, the SUPPORT program includes foundational training for peer specialists to deliver a recovery-oriented peer-led intervention for veterans with SMI that includes recovery (e.g., hope instillation, goal setting) and cognitive strategies (e.g., reminders to increase salience and recall of intervention materials). Aim 1 is to refine curriculum topics and skills, ensure treatment and trial protocol relevance, and enhance peer specialist training for fidelity and safety monitoring. As part of the refinement process, n=15 veterans with SMI will receive SUPPORT in an open trial and SUPPORT will be adapted based on initial findings. Aim 2 is then to complete a pilot randomized control trial with n=50 veterans, comparing SUPPORT to enhanced standard care, evaluating feasibility and acceptability of SUPPORT as well as the preliminary impact on SUPPORT compared to enhanced standard care on primary outcomes of personal recovery, suicide ideation severity, and domains of veteran functioning.
Results:
This trial was funded as of November 2022. Data collection for Aim 1 began in November 2023.
Conclusions:
By combining training for peer specialists with a novel recovery-oriented suicide prevention intervention, SUPPORT helps establish a role for peer specialists in suicide prevention and addressing suicide in veterans with SMI. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05537376; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05537376.
Citation
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Copyright
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