Southwest Hub for American Indian Youth Suicide Prevention Research

Summary

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Description

The overall goal of the research component of the National Institute of Mental Health funded Southwest Hub for American Indian Youth Suicide Prevention Research is to identify effective, feasible and sustainable interventions to prevent suicide and promote resilience among American Indian (AI) youth...

The overall goal of the research component of the National Institute of Mental Health funded Southwest Hub for American Indian Youth Suicide Prevention Research is to identify effective, feasible and sustainable interventions to prevent suicide and promote resilience among American Indian (AI) youth. The proposed study will build on 20+ years of behavioral and mental health research and partnerships undertaken by the Center for American Indian Health (CAIH) at Johns Hopkins with the White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT). The investigators primary research aim, to be undertaken with the White Mountain Apache, includes: 1) identification and voluntary enrollment of youth 10-24 years old using the WMAT established surveillance and case-management (CM) system who recently had a validated suicide attempt, ideation, or binge substance use episode with recent suicidal ideation; and 2) implementation of a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) to inform how to combine and tailor two brief interventions delivered by paraprofessional community mental health workers (CMHWs), with promising pilot data, to prevent further suicidal thoughts and behavior and promote resilience; and 3) evaluate what are the cost savings per study participant with the implementation of the Southwest Hub interventions: NH, ER, NH and ER. A secondary aim will be to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and sustainability of the two brief interventions with other Southwest Hub partners, including the Navajo, San Carlos Apache, Hualapai, and Cherokee nations, who will have support from the Administrative Core of the Southwest Hub to implement their own local tribal suicide surveillance systems for community-based identification of at-risk youth. The investigators will employ a SMART design to evaluate the effectiveness of New Hope (NH), Elders' Resilience intervention (ER), Case Management (CM) and the combination of these approaches on reducing suicidal thoughts and promoting resilience among AI youth ages 10-24 who are confirmed by surveillance case managers to have experienced suicide ideation, attempt or a binge substance use and recent ideation in the past 30 days. Youth who assent will complete the baseline (case management visit 1 and will be referred to mental health care-the standard protocol for the Apache system). During the same visit, youth will be randomized 1:1 to either New Hope (NH) plus Case Management (CM), or CM alone, using a blocked randomized design, stratifying participants by age and event type. All youth will complete another study assessment after 30 days. The 30-day time frame will allow ample time to complete the NH intervention with participants and assess any changes in youth's mental health status for all study arms. Following another 30-day period, all participants will be re-assessed and re-randomized, using the same blocking and 1:1 ratio to either the Elders' Resilience (ER) intervention plus CM, or CM alone. To track long term outcomes, all youth will complete a final assessment 3 month later (6 months post-enrollment). This study will occur on the White Mountain Apache Tribe's Fort Apache reservation.

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