Enhancing Suicide Prevention for Adolescents Aged 10 to 18 in Pediatric Primary Care Using an Adapted SAFETY-Acute Intervention

What this Trial Is About

Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States. This trial evaluates a suicide prevention approach designed for pediatric primary care clinics, focusing on adolescents aged 10 to 18 years with suicidal thoughts or behaviors. The study compares an adapted evidence-based intervention called SAFETY-Acute to usual care provided at three primary care clinics, aiming to improve screening and intervention in these settings. The study has two main phases the first two months involve treatment as usual delivered by clinic providers, and the following two months involve the adapted pilot intervention. This intervention includes components such as psychoeducation, coping skills, safety planning, lethal means restriction, parenting skills, communication skills, and connecting families to longer-term care. Both adolescents and their parents or caregivers participate in the intervention. Participants will complete assessments approximately two weeks after their intervention to measure feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, satisfaction, and usability of the intervention. Additional assessments for parents cover self-efficacy and parent-child relationship quality at baseline, post-intervention, and two months later. The study runs from May 2026 to March 2028 and aims to understand how well the intervention can be used in primary care and its initial effects on families.

Adapting a Brief Suicide Intervention for Pediatric Primary Care: Enhancing Uptake and Impact