AzTrials
AzTrials

Suicidal IdeationNCT05539352

Improving Caregivers' Ability to Manage Life Stress

A study testing Problem Solving Therapy (PST) plus EUC in people with Suicidal Ideation, run by VA Office of Research and Development at 1 site in United States.

Withdrawn

Withdrawn. The study stopped before anyone enrolled.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased caregiving demands for caregivers of Veterans with dementia. Dementia caregivers are particularly at-risk for depression and anxiety, known risk factors for increased suicidality. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 50 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Suicidal Ideation
What is being tested?
Problem Solving Therapy (PST) plus EUC
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
0 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
7 Feb 2025to 7 Feb 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 50 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 50 years old or older
  • Identify as a informal caregiver to at least 1 older Veteran
  • SI (past month) on the C-SSRS. No SI or imminent risk (will be excluded). Eligibility includes non-specific active suicidal thoughts to active SI with some planning (on C-SSRS item 3: "Have you been thinking about how you might do this") and/or some intent to act (on C-SSRS item 4: "Have you had these thoughts and had some intention of acting on them?") provided that those endorsing item 4 have an established relationship with a psychiatrist aware of this intent level (who is not also performing psychotherapy). Those endorsing C-SSRS item 5: "Do you intend to carry out this plan?" would be considered at imminent risk and excluded. No suicide attempt in the past 3 months.
  • No diagnosis of dementia; evidence that cognitive impairment is not indicative of possible dementia based on a negative cognitive telephone screen (<10 errors on the Blessed cognitive screen)
  • No diagnosis on MINI or medical record for psychotic symptoms or disorders, bipolar disorder, or severe OCD (mild or moderate OCD will be eligible).
  • No history of head injury past 12 months or no lifetime history of head injury with LOC > 24 hours
Show all 15Show fewer
  • No severe or unstable chronic medical illness or other severe or unstable respiratory, cardiovascular, neurologic, hepatic, hematopoietic, gastrointestinal or metabolic dysfunction
  • AUDIT Total cut-off scores for inclusion of 14 or lower for men, and 12 or lower for women (no current alcohol use disorder)
  • No prominent homicidal ideation
  • English language proficiency to engage in treatment
  • Sensory abilities sufficiently intact to engage in assessment and treatment
  • Not currently enrolled in psychotherapy for a mental health issue (see details below in Exclusion Criteria)
  • No current prescription for anti-psychotics if prescribed for a psychotic disorder. Anti-psychotics for depression without psychosis are eligible. Psychotropic medications (e.g., SSRIs) are also eligible. Medication changes are allowed after study enrollment
  • Participants must not meet criteria for any substance use disorder for illicit substances, as determined by the MINI. Further, participants must not meet criteria for moderate or severe substance use disorder for cannabis/marijuana (mild substance use disorder may be included)
  • Access to internet connection in a private area (e.g., own or other's home, office, etc.) to engage in private online treatment sessions by video. Does not need video/internet-enabled device (study will provide a tablet), just access to internet

Who cannot join

  • Less than 50 years old
  • No SI (past month) or imminent risk on the C-SSRS will be excluded. Those endorsing C-SSRS item 5: "Do you intend to carry out this plan?" would be considered at imminent risk and excluded. Exclude if there is a suicide attempt in the past 3 months
  • Diagnosis of dementia; evidence that cognitive impairment is indicative of possible dementia based on a positive cognitive telephone screen (>=10 errors on the Blessed cognitive screen)
  • Diagnosis on MINI or medical record for psychotic symptoms or disorders, bipolar disorder, or severe OCD (mild or moderate OCD will be eligible).
  • History of head injury past 12 months or lifetime history of head injury with LOC > 24 hours
  • Severe or unstable chronic medical illness or other severe or unstable respiratory, cardiovascular, neurologic, hepatic, hematopoietic, gastrointestinal or metabolic dysfunction
Show all 14Show fewer
  • AUDIT Total cut-off scores for exclusion to scores of 15 or higher for men, and 13 or higher for women (no current alcohol use disorder)
  • Prominent homicidal ideation
  • Lacking English language proficiency to engage in treatment
  • Sensory abilities not sufficiently intact to engage in assessment and treatment
  • Currently enrolled in psychotherapy for a mental health issue: Participants will be excluded if they are currently enrolled in some other individual psychotherapy or evidence-based group therapy (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy for depression), but the participant would be eligible for the study after they complete their treatment if they still have suicidal ideation. Participants who are receiving mental health care are eligible if their current care includes treatment from a psychiatrist, supportive therapy, peer counseling or support, or participating in psychoeducational groups. Once enrolled in the study, unless there is an unanticipated contraindication to continue the participant in the study while they are receiving other mental health care, they will be retained in the study. Participants will stop study treatment if there is any contraindication to continue the participant in the study while they are receiving new mental health treatment outside of the study.
  • Current prescription for anti-psychotics
  • Individuals who meet criteria for any substance use disorder for illicit substances or for moderate or severe substance use disorder for cannabis/marijuana will be excluded
  • Lack of access to internet connection in a private area (e.g., own or other's home, office, etc.); inability to engage in private online treatment sessions by video

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

    Palo Alto, California, 94304-1207

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Reducing Suicide Risk in Older Veterans With Mental Health Disorders Using Problem Solving Therapy

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased caregiving demands for caregivers of Veterans with dementia. Dementia caregivers are particularly at-risk for depression and anxiety, known risk factors for increased suicidality. Emerging research also suggests that dementia caregivers are experiencing greater suicidality during COVID-19 at a time when VHA is also devoting increased efforts toward caregiver health and support services. Aims are to determine the feasibility and acceptability of video-delivered Problem-Solving Therapy for reducing suicide risk in caregivers of Veterans with dementia.

Read the detailed description

The proposed single-arm pilot will examine the feasibility and acceptability of a brief behavioral treatment for reducing suicidal ideation and for increasing reasons for living in caregivers of Veterans with dementia. The proposed study will examine Problem Solving Therapy (PST) using a protocol that teaches skills to address emotional and practical barriers to effective problem solving. The VA usual care practice of collaborative safety planning will also be included in the treatment protocol, herein referred to as enhanced usual care (EUC). For participant safety, all caregivers will receive both PST and EUC. The study design is a single arm. Both PST and EUC are evidence-based interventions, and the treatment is delivered in six sessions. The study will occur at VA Palo Alto.

The assessments and treatments will be conducted entirely by video. Participants will be sent VA-approved tablets. Longitudinal assessment of suicidal ideation and reasons for living will occur at eleven timepoints: baseline, after each of the six weekly treatment sessions, posttreatment (7 weeks), at 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up. The recruitment goal is 10 caregivers. Caregivers must be 50 years or older and report suicide ideation to be eligible. Veterans will be excluded and referred for other services if they have psychotic symptoms, bipolar disorder, or severe OCD; an alcohol/substance use disorder; severe or unstable medical conditions; recent head injury (past year) or history of a head injury with loss of consciousness for 24 or more hours; terminal illness; positive cognitive screen indicative of possible dementia; or if they are unable to participate in the study or follow-up sessions. Recruitment will occur through multiple strategies at VA, Vet centers, and in the community to ensure the feasibility of recruiting a total of 10 caregivers.

Being tested
Problem Solving Therapy (PST) plus EUC
Keywords
caregiver, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, suicidal ideation, suicide prevention, executive functioning, functional disability
Medical subject headings
Suicidal Ideation, Suicide Prevention

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Problem Solving Therapy (PST) plus EUCBehavioural

    Also called PST plus EUC

    All caregivers are assigned to this condition and receive EUC and PST. EUC is delivered along with the treatment to ensure the safety of all caregivers enrolled in the study. In addition to EUC, caregivers receive PST, which teaches patients a structured "planful problem solving" approach to: 1) identify problems and set goals, 2) generate alternative solutions, 3) select a solution based on cost-benefit analysis, and 4) devise and implement a plan for the solution and assess its effectiveness in solving the problem. This contemporary PST protocol also teaches tool kits to address obstacles highly pertinent to the challenges faced by caregivers and active suicidal ideation: emotion dysregulation, hopelessness, and feeling overwhelmed by too much information ("brain overload") or stress.

Study groups in NCT05539352
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Active treatment plus EUCExperimentalAll caregivers are assigned to this condition and receive the treatment plus EUC.
Receives: Behavioral: Problem Solving Therapy (PST) plus EUC

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Feasibility of recruitment and retention of participants

    The investigators will estimate the rate of recruitment during the course of the study, to inform feasible recruitment rates for future clinical trials with this population. Feasibility of retention will be established if 80% or more of enrolled participants are retained for at least 5 of 6 treatment sessions.

    Measured: At study completion, up to 41 months or completed participation of all participants, whichever came first

  2. Appropriateness of inclusion/exclusion criteria

    Appropriateness of the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be determined by examining frequency tables and/or qualitative data indicating number and types of reasons for screening failures and withdrawals from the treatment/study. These frequency tables will inform decisions in future research regarding modifications to inclusion/exclusion criteria.

    Measured: At study completion, up to 41 months or completed participation of all participants, whichever came first

  3. Acceptability of treatment

    Acceptability of the treatment will be determined based on adherence in attending sessions and completing homework, and treatment satisfaction ratings. A threshold of 80% or more (5 out of 6 sessions attended; 4 or more with completed homework [no homework in first session]), based on the rates reported for other late-life behavioral intervention studies, will be used to establish adherence. Mean ratings of 3 ("good/helpful") or higher on a 5-point item assessing how effective the treatment was in helping participants to deal better with their problems, and mean ratings of 3 ("somewhat met my expectations") or higher on a 4-point item assessing how well the treatment met their expectations, will be used to establish treatment satisfaction. Treatment expectations, likes, and dislikes will be analyzed by identifying themes of patient responses and tallying them in a frequency table for review. This will help determine if certain aspects of the treatments should be retained or modified.

    Measured: At posttreatment (7 weeks)

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Sensitivity of trial outcome measures

    Sensitivity of the potential outcome measures for future randomized clinical trials will be determined. Mean pre- and post-scores will be compared using t-tests to determine the direction of change on the following measures: Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale (GSIS), Reasons for Living - Older Adults Scale (Short RFL-OA), WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO-DAS 2.0) short form, DKEFS Verbal Fluency Test, WAIS Digit Span subtest (Digits Forward and Backward), Oral Trail Making Test.

    Measured: Change from baseline to posttreatment (7 weeks)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted14 Sep 2022
  2. Study start7 Feb 2025
  3. Primary completion7 Feb 2025
  4. Study completion7 Feb 2025

Why it stopped: Supplemental pilot not opened to recruitment due to efforts focusing on primary clinical trial, funding terminated

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
The study design is a single arm, receiving PST+EUC. Both parts of the treatment are evidence-based interventions, and the treatment protocol is delivered in six sessions. The study will occur at VA Palo Alto.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
0 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05539352
Sponsor's protocol ID
MHBC-003-20S-1
Status last verified
Feb 2025
First submitted
6 Sep 2022
Last updated
13 Feb 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: A de-identified, anonymized dataset will be created and shared. The data set will be shared upon written request and will be shared pursuant to a Data Use Agreement (DUA) once the planned manuscripts have been accepted to peer-reviewed journals. At that time, the investigators will send researchers who have completed a DUA a electronic copy of the database in a password protected database file. Final datasets will be maintained locally until VA enterprise-level resources become available for long term storage and usage.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Problem Solving Therapy (PST) plus EUC in people with Suicidal Ideation, run by VA Office of Research and Development at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 15 inclusion and 14 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Feb 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Feasibility of recruitment and retention of participants (time frame: At study completion, up to 41 months or completed participation of all participants, whichever came first). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Feb 2025.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in