Efficacy-Implementation Study for Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (PC CARES) in Rural Alaska

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying the impact of Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (PC CARES) in rural Alaska Native communities to understand how this approach affects suicide prevention efforts. The study evaluates participant outcomes in learning circles, community-wide effects on youth, and how to sustainably expand PC CARES to other Alaska Native communities. It focuses on building personal and collective skills and tracking behaviors that support suicide prevention over time. The PC CARES intervention involves training local community health workers to lead up to five 3-hour Learning Circles over about six months. These sessions aim to create a community of practice among trusted adults to learn about, adapt, and apply suicide prevention best practices tailored to their culture and community. Participants attend sessions either virtually or in person, while a comparison group does not participate in the sessions but provides data at similar time points. Participants are involved in multiple assessments throughout the study, including surveys at baseline, after each Learning Circle session, and follow-ups at one and six months after the last session. These assessments measure changes in suicide prevention knowledge, self-efficacy, community collaboration, youth connectedness, social support, protective factors, and prevention behaviors. The study also gathers detailed feedback from student facilitators and community members to understand barriers and enablers to implementing PC CARES in remote communities. The total duration for participant involvement spans several months with multiple data collection points.

Efficacy-Implementation Study for PC CARES in Rural Alaska