Suicide Treatment and Recovery in Integrated Behavioral Health (STRIBH)

Suicide Treatment and Recovery in Integrated Behavioral Health (STRIBH)

The suicide rate has increased 28% over the past two decades while heart disease, diabetes, and cancer mortality has declined. Starting in 2011, new standards have led to improved adoption and reach of suicide risk surveillance in primary and specialty care. Treatment, however, has lagged. Collaborative Care in primary care settings has demonstrated small but significant reductions in suicidal ideation when a recognized psychological treatment model is included but not when Collaborative Care only includes medication management, suggesting that improvements to psychological treatments in Collaborative Care could further improve suicide outcomes. Developed in a series of conferences in Aeschi Switzerland, the "Aeschi Model" based on the clinical narrative has become an established approach to suicide care endorsed by leaders across the suicidology field - including the developers of major evidence-based suicide interventions. With support from the Methods Core, this Exploratory (R34) study of the University of Washington Suicide Care Research Center (SCRC) will co-design and pilot test the "Connections model" that integrates Aeschi Model with Collaborative Care or other Integrated Behavioral Health with adolescent and young adult patients (age 13-30 years) who do not require immediate crisis intervention. This study will focus on increasing therapeutic alliance - a key proposed mechanism of the Aeschi approach and the SCRC. The aims of this study are to partner with diverse primary care clinics to conduct a pilot test of the Connections model compared to treatment as usual in six primary care clinics to determine (a) usability and acceptability of the intervention components to patients and providers and (b) the components' potential impact on therapeutic alliance and patient and provider self-efficacy, and (c) potential impact on suicidal outcomes. Given the strong theoretical basis for both the Aeschi Model and Collaborative Care, this proposal has the potential to develop a high impact intervention that will both reduce suicide risk and improve therapeutic alliance - potentially without any increase in the quantity of care.

This study will focus on increasing therapeutic alliance - a key proposed mechanism of the Aeschi approach and the SCRC. The aims of this study are to partner with diverse primary care clinics to conduct a pilot test of the Connections model compared to treatment as usual in six primary care clinics to determine (a) usability and acceptability of the intervention components to patients and providers and (b) the components' potential impact on therapeutic alliance and patient and provider self-efficacy, and (c) potential impact on suicidal outcomes. Given the strong theoretical basis for both the Aeschi Model and Collaborative Care, this proposal has the potential to develop a high impact intervention that will both reduce suicide risk and improve therapeutic alliance - potentially without any increase in the quantity of care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 13-30 years of age, experiencing suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide in the past year, not requiring immediate crisis care (as determined by the UW Primary Care team), not enrolled in specialty behavioral health treatment, can read one of the 4 most common languages in Seattle (English, Spanish, Chinese, or Vietnamese), enrolled in a primary care clinic with an integrated behavioral health provider available to see them, and ability to consent to participate.

Exclusion Criteria:

• any clinical medical/psychiatric condition, severity of that condition, or life situation that, in the opinion of the primary care or research team, compromises safe and voluntary study participation (e.g., high risk for suicide requiring transfer to higher level of care; physically aggressive, custody conflict)