Rationale and study protocol for a two-part intervention: Safety planning and structured follow-up among veterans at risk for suicide and discharged from the emergency department

Glenn W Currier; Gregory K Brown; Lisa A Brenner; Megan Chesin; Kerry L Knox; Marjan Ghahramanlou-Holloway; Barbara Stanley

doi:10.1016/j.cct.2015.05.003

Rationale and study protocol for a two-part intervention: Safety planning and structured follow-up among veterans at risk for suicide and discharged from the emergency department

Contemp Clin Trials. 2015 Jul:43:179-84. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2015.05.003. Epub 2015 May 16.

Authors

Glenn W Currier¹, Gregory K Brown², Lisa A Brenner³, Megan Chesin⁴, Kerry L Knox⁵, Marjan Ghahramanlou-Holloway⁶, Barbara Stanley⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.
² Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
³ Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Denver, CO, United States; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO, United States.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States; Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Canandaigua, NY, United States.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, United States; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States.
⁶ Department of Medical & Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States.

PMID: 25987482
DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2015.05.003

Abstract

There are no evidence-based, brief interventions to reduce suicide risk in Veterans. Death by suicide is a major public health problem. This article describes a protocol, Suicide Assessment and Follow-up Engagement: Veteran Emergency Treatment [SAFE VET], developed for testing the effectiveness of a brief intervention combining a Safety Planning Intervention with structured follow-up (SPI-SFU) to reduce near-term suicide risk and increase outpatient behavioral health treatment engagement among Veterans seeking treatment at Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) emergency departments (EDs) who are at risk for suicide. In addition to describing study procedures, outcome measures, primary and secondary hypotheses, and human subjects' protection issues, the rationale for the selection of SPI-SFU as the intervention is detailed, as are safety considerations for the unique study setting and sample.

Keywords: Emergency medicine; Emergency psychiatry; Safety planning intervention; Suicide; Veteran.

Publication types

Clinical Trial
Multicenter Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Clinical Protocols*
Emergency Service, Hospital / organization & administration*
Humans
Mental Health Services / organization & administration*
Patient Discharge
Research Design
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Suicide Prevention*
United States
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans*