Military Continuity Project

Summary

The investigators propose to utilize text messaging to create and investigate the efficacy of a Continuing Contacts via Text (CCVT) intervention that extends the continuity of care for Service Members with a recent suicide attempt and/or reported suicidal ideation by sending them non-demanding caring text messages at regular intervals over a 12-month period. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive Continuing Contacts via Text (CCVT) in addition to Treatment as Usual (TAU) or TAU alone.

Aim 1: To determine if the addition of 12 months of CCVT to TAU (CCVT+TAU) results in lower rates of suicidal ideation and behavior relative to TAU alone.

* Hypothesis 1a: Participants assigned to CCVT+TAU compared to TAU alone will experience reduced suicidal ideation at 12-month follow-up.
* Hypothesis 1b: Over the 12 months following study enrollment, a smaller proportion of participants assigned to CCVT+TAU vs. TAU alone will have suicide risk incidents (i.e., those requiring medical evacuation or hospital admission).
* Hypothesis 1c: Over the 12 months following study enrollment, CCVT+TAU vs. TAU alone will have fewer total number of suicide risk incidents requiring medical evacuation or hospital admission.

Aim 2: To test two proposed mechanisms of action of CCVT outcome: 1) reduced "thwarted belongingness" and 2) increased engagement in behavioral health services.

* Hypothesis 2a: The effect of CCVT+TAU compared to TAU alone will be mediated by reductions in "thwarted belongingness" from pre to post-study.
* Hypothesis 2b: The effect of CCVT+TAU compared to TAU alone will be mediated by increased use of outpatient behavioral health services in the CCVT+TAU condition.

Conditions

• Suicidal Ideation Active
• Suicidal and Self-injurious Behavior

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

TAU

This is standard outpatient mental health care that is routinely provided in study site outpatient clinics.

BEHAVIORAL

CCVT+TAU

Participants in the CCVT + TAU condition will receive caring texts at 1 day, 1 week, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, \& 12 months, and on their birthday. Text messages will indicate a general concern for the individual and a link to a website with general resources including behavioral health and crisis services. Participants in both conditions will continue to receive usual behavioral health care according to standard operating procedures.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Military Suicide Research Consortium

  collaborator OTHER

• United States Department of Defense

  collaborator FED

• University of Washington

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Katherine Anne Comtois, PhD, MPH · University of Washington

• Richard K Ries, MD · University of Washington

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2013-04-30

Primary Completion

2017-09-19

Completion

2018-04-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations