A New Clinical Model for the Engagement of Latinx Youth With Suicidal Behavior

A New Clinical Model for the Engagement of Latinx Youth With Suicidal Behavior and Their Families in a Culturally Centered CBT Treatment

This study will test a model of providing treatment to Latinx/Hispanic youth, who experience suicidal thoughts and behavior, and their caregivers. An affirmative and culturally relevant treatment will be provided to all youth and half of the families will be assigned to the additional support of a community health worker (CHW). Youth symptoms and family engagement to treatment will be followed for nine months. The potential benefit of adding the CHW intervention will be assessed.

The objective of this proposal is to test a New Clinical Model to engage Latinx/Hispanic (L/H) youth and their caregivers in a culturally centered, evidence-based treatment for suicidal behaviors (SB). The Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Behavior (SCBT-SB) is an affirmative and culturally relevant treatment with empirical evidence supporting its use for L/H youth with suicidality. The New Clinical Model consists of the addition of community health workers (CHWs) to the SCBT-SB. CHWs are trusted members of their communities who provide education and connection to resources to L/H families in their native language. A community based participatory research approach is proposed and the Socio-Cultural Framework for Health Service Disparities will be the theoretical model used.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Latinx, defined as have been born in a Latin country or having at least one biological parent, grandparent or an ancestor that was born in a Latin country
• Severe Suicidal Ideation (SI), defined as one of the following:
• SIQ-JR > 22 or endorsing any critical items (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9) with at least "about 1x/month"
• CDI-II > 15 and endorsing "I think about killing myself but would not do it" OR "I think about killing myself."
• PHQ-9 > 10 & endorsing the item "Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way" with a frequency of "several days" or greater or endorsing the item "Has there been a time in the past month when you have had serious thoughts about ending your life?
• Suicidal crisis within the past 12 months
• Caregivers and adolescents fluent in Spanish or English language and legal guardian willing to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants will be referred to a different treatment program if their main clinical complaint is any of the following:
• Behavioral (e.g., conduct disorder, or substance use disorder)
• An eating disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• A developmental issue (e.g., speech, occupational, families looking for assessments, treatment for autism) or a significant cognitive delay that may require specialized treatment adjustments.