Suicide Prevention for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth (Open Trial)

The overarching goal of this study is to develop a suicide prevention program for sexual-and-gender-minority youth and emerging adults. After development of the intervention program, an open phase trial will be conducted to test its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact on three intervention targets.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among all U.S. citizens, and is the 2nd leading cause of death among youth and emerging adults between the ages of 15 and 34. Moreover, U.S. representative data indicate increasing trends in suicide attempts and death by suicide. In addition to the immense psychological burden experienced by the family and friends of individuals who attempt and complete suicide, the costs of death by suicide and suicide attempts in 2013 were estimated at $93.5 billion. One group that is particularly vulnerable to suicide is sexual and gender minorities (SGMs). SGM is an umbrella term used to describe individuals who identify as non-exclusively heterosexual (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual) and/or as transgender/non-binary (e.g., identify as a gender different from their birth sex). Extant research consistently notes substantial mental health disparities among SGMs in comparison to their heterosexual and cis-gender counterparts. In 2017, in the U.S., 23% of sexual minority youth reported one or more suicide attempts (in the past 12 months) vs. 5.4% of heterosexual youth. This disparity has also been noted in a meta-analysis of population-based longitudinal studies, with sexual minority adolescents and emerging adults reporting 2.26 increased odds of suicide attempts compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts among gender minorities is also substantially elevated compared to the general population, with 45% of 18-24-year-old transgender individuals reporting history of one or more suicide attempts. Despite these substantial health disparities in suicide among SGM youth/emerging adults, no known suicide prevention programs exist for this highly vulnerable population. Given this crucial gap in the literature, the proposed study will adapt and test a patient navigation (PN) intervention for SGM youth/emerging adults designed to target mechanisms (i.e., decreasing thwarted belongingness and increasing suicide-related coping skills) that theoretically underlie suicide. The proposed intervention will integrate a single-session, empirically supported, suicide prevention intervention (Safety Planning Intervention; SPI) with PN services (PN+SPI). The patient navigator will deliver the SPI and continue frequent contact for the purpose of providing motivational enhancement, problem-solving, reinforcing coping strategies, and connecting participants to social support and mental health resources (e.g., SGM-specific support groups within the community). This study will accomplish the following specific aims: Specific Aim 1: To adapt and test an integrated PN+SPI designed to reduce suicide attempts among SGM youth and emerging adults. In this open-phase trial (N = 30), within-person changes in thwarted belongingness and suicide-related coping skills will be tested. It is hypothesized that PN+SPI participants will display decreases in thwarted belongingness and increases in suicide-related coping skills. Feasibility and acceptability of the PN+ SPI intervention will also be assessed.

A broad recruitment strategy will be used to recruit participants within the greater San Diego. Potential participants will be requested to contact study personnel via email or telephone. A trained member of the study team will contact each potential participant to explain the study, obtain verbal consent for pre-enrollment screening, and conduct the screening process. For those who meet screening criteria, a trained member of the study team will provide more information about the study and engage in an informed consent process at an in-person appointment. Following informed consent, participants will complete self-report questionnaires and clinician-based interviews in person. At baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups, participants will be asked to complete measures of suicidal coping and thwarted belongingness. At the 3- and 6-month follow-up, satisfaction with mental health services and satisfaction with interpersonal relationship with patient navigator will be assessed.

A patient navigation (PN) intervention for SGM youth/emerging adults designed to target mechanisms (i.e., decreasing thwarted belongingness and increasing suicide-related coping skills) that theoretically underlie suicide. The proposed intervention will integrate a single-session, empirically supported, suicide prevention intervention (Safety Planning Intervention; SPI) with PN services (PN+SPI). The patient navigator will deliver the SPI and continue frequent contact for the purpose of providing motivational enhancement, problem-solving, reinforcing coping strategies, and connecting participants to social support and mental health resources (e.g., SGM-specific support groups within the community).

A patient navigation (PN) intervention for SGM youth/emerging adults designed to target mechanisms (i.e., decreasing thwarted belongingness and increasing suicide-related coping skills) that theoretically underlie suicide. The proposed intervention will integrate a single-session, empirically supported, suicide prevention intervention (Safety Planning Intervention; SPI) with PN services (PN+SPI). The patient navigator will deliver the SPI and continue frequent contact for the purpose of providing motivational enhancement, problem-solving, reinforcing coping strategies, and connecting participants to social support and mental health resources (e.g., SGM-specific support groups within the community).

Assess thwarted belongingness (9 items on 7-point scales; scores range from 9 to 63 with higher scores indicating greater thwarted belongingness)

Assess suicide-related internal coping skills (7 items on 5-point scales; scores range from 0 to 28 with higher scores indicating better internal coping)

Assess suicide-related external coping skills (7 items on 5-point scales; scores range from 0 to 28 with higher scores indicating better external coping)

Identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer, asexual, pansexual, non-binary, or another non-exclusively heterosexual identity, and/or reports same-gender romantic attraction, and/or reports same-gender sexual behavior in the past 12 months.

Inclusion Criteria: 1) age 15 to 29 years; 2) identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer, asexual, pansexual, non-binary, or another non-exclusively heterosexual identity, and/or reports same-gender romantic attraction, and/or reports same-gender sexual behavior in the past 12 months; 3) resides in San Diego County, California; 4) speaks English; 5) is willing and able to provide informed consent; 6) reports suicidal ideation over the past two weeks, as indicated by the clinician-administered Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Baseline version; and 7) reports a lifetime history of one or more suicide attempts. Exclusion Criteria: Individuals with immediate intention to attempt suicide will be excluded.

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