Evaluation of a Telehealth Case Management Intervention to Prevent Suicide Among Soldiers Discharged From Psychiatric Hospitalization

Summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Pathfinding, a 6-month, remotely-delivered case management intervention designed to decrease suicidal behavior among active-duty Regular Army soldiers recently discharged from inpatient psychiatric treatment. Soldiers discharged from military treatment facilities across the U.S. will be identified and recruited to participate. Those who consent will be randomly assigned to receive either Treatment As Usual (TAU), which is the Army's standard post-discharge care, or TAU plus Pathfinding. Participants will complete a baseline assessment and follow-up assessments 6 months and 12 months later. The 6- and 12-month follow-up periods will also include examination of participants' electronic healthcare data and Army administrative data. The overall goals of the study are: (1) to evaluate whether Pathfinding decreases suicidal behaviors among soldiers transitioning from psychiatric hospitalization back to the community; and (2) to determine which discharged soldiers are most likely to benefit from the Pathfinding intervention versus TAU alone.

Conditions

• Suicide
• Suicide Attempt

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Pathfinding

The Pathfinding intervention consists of remote (videoconference or phone) interactions between participants and masters-level Guides over the 6 months following study enrollment. Participants have the option of involving a support person (SP) in the intervention (e.g., family member, friend). First 4 sessions (45 min. each) occur as soon as possible following hospital discharge and focus on orientation to Pathfinding, identifying a SP, and identifying and prioritizing values/needs, values-consistent goals, corresponding actions, and relevant resources. Participants subsequently receive up to 10 brief (15-30 min. each) contacts to monitor risk and progress. Frequency of contacts is front-loaded and diminishes over time as participants take more control over managing their transition. SPs are contacted for up to 5 sessions (10-15 min. each) to help with monitoring and support. Sessions, risk assessments, and any crisis response actions are documented in the electronic health record.

BEHAVIORAL

Treatment As Usual (TAU)

TAU is standard post-discharge care based on Defense Health Agency policy (DHA Administrative Instruction 6025.06): Discharge plans must consist of referral with plans for outpatient or partial hospitalization follow-up within 7 days (optimally within 72 hours). Discharged patients are placed on a High-Risk (HR) list for at least 30 days. During this period, patients are seen weekly for follow-up appointments or attendance of the HR group if individual psychotherapy is not available. If, after 4 weeks, the patient is assessed as no longer acutely suicidal, they are removed from the HR list. After removal from the HR list, patients are seen either weekly or every other week, depending on clinical need. Initial care coordination is handled by the discharge nurse. Ongoing care coordination is managed by the outpatient mental health team. Safety planning is conducted at discharge and every few sessions thereafter using the DHA safety plan. Safety assessments are conducted at each visit.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Michigan

  collaborator OTHER

• Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

  lead FED

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-24

Primary Completion

2028-08-31

Completion

2029-08-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations