Suicide Intervention for Alaska Native Youth (BeWeL)

RanD

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Suicide, Attempted; Suicidal Ideation; Alaska Native Youth Aged 14 - 24; Alcohol Intoxication

Treatments: Behavioral: Tools for Life + MISN; Behavioral: Tools for Life

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05360888

YY46Q97AEZA8

Details and patient eligibility

About

Two interventions will be delivered virtually to American Indian/Alaska Native youth who have been hospitalized with suicidal attempt, suicidal ideation, or associated risk behaviors, including alcohol-related injury.

Full description

The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial whereby Alaska Native (AN) youth who are hospitalized for suicide risk will be randomly assigned to either Qungasvik/Tools for Life or Tools for Life + Motivational Interviewing Social Network (MISN) intervention after their baseline survey, and followed up at 3-, 6-, and 12 months. All youth will receive Tools for Life and two 30-minute virtual follow-up visits (at 2- and 6-weeks post intervention) focused on connectivity to culture and obtaining support from intergenerational social networks in their home communities. Half of the youth will also receive MISN in addition to Tools for Life. Both interventions will be delivered virtually by a wellness team comprised of Alaska Native community behavioral health aides, prevention specialists and/or Elders who function in their communities as natural healers.

Enrollment: 370 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 14 to 24 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Self-identify as Alaska Native youth
• Between the ages of 14 and 24
• Admitted to the hospital for suicide attempt, ideation, or associated risk behaviors including alcohol-related injury or acute intoxication

Exclusion criteria

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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370 participants in 2 patient groups

Tools for Life

Active Comparator group

Description:

All youth will receive the Tools for Life (Qungasvik) intervention. Tools for Life is an evidence-based, community-developed intervention focused on providing protective cultural experiences for Alaska Native youth to address suicide risk and alcohol use.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tools for Life

Tools for Life + Motivational Interviewing Social Network intervention (MISN)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Half of the youth will will also receive MISN in addition to the Tools for Life intervention. MISN is an evidence-based treatment that augments motivational interviewing with personal social network composition and structure visualization as a means to cultivating healthy social networks and cultural worlds.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tools for Life + MISN