The Mental Imagery for Suicidality in Students Trial (MISST)

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Status: Completed

Conditions: Suicide, Attempted; Suicidal Ideation

Treatments: Other: Broad-Minded Affective Coping Intervention; Other: Risk Assessment and Signposting

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05296538

x557s IRAS 305348

Details and patient eligibility

About

In the UK, suicide is the leading cause of death in young people and have increased in recent years. Areas in the North of England appear particularly at risk. University students represent one vulnerable group. 42% of students contemplate suicide in any one-year period. Suicidal thinking is an important indicator of distress and clinical need, which predicts subsequent suicidal experiences and worse mental health. It is therefore an important target for clinical treatment and early intervention. However, evidenced based interventions for targeting suicidal thinking in students are lacking.

This project will evaluate the feasibility of a novel psychological intervention, called the Broad Minded Affective Coping (BMAC) intervention. The BMAC aims to increase peoples' access to positive thoughts and emotions to help them to break out of cycles of negative mood and suicidal thinking. It is targeted, protocolised, and deliverable by a range of professional groups. Our existing co-development work with young people has suggested that it is acceptable and helpful to University students. This randomised controlled feasibility trial of the BMAC intervention for suicidal thinking in university students. Participants will be randomised to either a risk assessment and signposting plus the BMAC (n = 33), or risk assessment and signposting alone (n = 33). The study will assess outcomes at baseline and after eight weeks, 16 weeks, and 24 weeks. The study will explore the safety, feasibility and acceptability of delivering the intervention and trial procedures. Embedded qualitative interviews with staff and participants, and field notes, will help us to understand the potential factors affecting acceptability and delivery of the BMAC intervention and conduct of the trial, and the proposed underlying mechanisms of change. The project will be a crucial step in evaluating the BMAC for suicidal students, paving the way for a larger trial of clinical effectiveness.

Enrollment: 65 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Aged ≥18 years.
• Accessing full or part time education through a Higher Education Institution (HEI).
• Suicidal ideation and/or behaviours in the past three months

Exclusion criteria

• Active/historical full threshold first episode psychosis or bipolar disorder
• Known moderate to severe learning disability (IQ:<70).
• Organic cerebral disease/injury affecting receptive and expressive language comprehension.
• Non-English speaking to the degree that the participant is unable to answer questions and give written informed consent.
• Imminent and immediate risk to self or others, operationalised as the presence of active intent or planning to harm oneself or others in the near future (e.g. next month).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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65 participants in 2 patient groups

Broad-Minded Affective Coping Intervention + Risk assessment and signposting

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will first receive one to two 50 minute sessions focused on risk assessment and management, including signposting to further support. They will then be offered six sessions of the Broad-Minded Affective Coping (BMAC) Intervention. Sessions will take place weekly where possible and the intervention window will be eight weeks. A booster session will be offered in the 8 weeks following the end of therapy.

Treatment:

Other: Broad-Minded Affective Coping Intervention

Other: Risk Assessment and Signposting

Risk assessment and signposting + Treatment As Usual

Other group

Description:

Participants will first receive one to two 50 minute sessions focused on risk assessment and management, including signposting to further support. In addition they will be able to access usual care from their University counselling service or other health services.

Treatment:

Other: Risk Assessment and Signposting