Suicide Intervention for Alaska Native Youth (BeWeL)

May 8, 2026 updated by: RAND

Comparative Effectiveness of Two Culturally-Centered Suicide Interventions for Alaska Native Youth

Two interventions will be delivered virtually to American Indian/Alaska Native youth who have been hospitalized with suicidal attempt, suicidal ideation, or associated risk behaviors, including alcohol-related injury.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial whereby Alaska Native (AN) youth who are hospitalized for suicide risk will be randomly assigned to either Qungasvik/Tools for Life or Tools for Life + Motivational Interviewing Social Network (MISN) intervention after their baseline survey, and followed up at 3-, 6-, and 12 months. All youth will receive Tools for Life and two 30-minute virtual follow-up visits (at 2- and 6-weeks post intervention) focused on connectivity to culture and obtaining support from intergenerational social networks in their home communities. Half of the youth will also receive MISN in addition to Tools for Life. Both interventions will be delivered virtually by a wellness team comprised of Alaska Native community behavioral health aides, prevention specialists and/or Elders who function in their communities as natural healers.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
302

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Elizabeth J D'Amico, PhD
  • Phone Number: 6487 3103930411
  • Email: damico@rand.org

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Alaska
      • Bethel, Alaska, United States, 99559
        • Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation
      • Fairbanks, Alaska, United States, 99559
        • Tanana Chiefs Conference

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

15 years to 24 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Self-identify as Alaska Native youth
  • Between the ages of 14 and 24
  • Admitted to the hospital for suicide attempt, ideation, or associated risk behaviors including alcohol-related injury or acute intoxication

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Tools for Life
All youth will receive the Tools for Life (Qungasvik) intervention. Tools for Life is an evidence-based, community-developed intervention focused on providing protective cultural experiences for Alaska Native youth to address suicide risk and alcohol use.
Behavioral: Tools for Life
Tools for Life focuses on empowering youth to learn more about their culture and their identity.
Active Comparator: Tools for Life + Motivational Interviewing Social Network intervention (MISN)
Half of the youth will will also receive MISN in addition to the Tools for Life intervention. MISN is an evidence-based treatment that augments motivational interviewing with personal social network composition and structure visualization as a means to cultivating healthy social networks and cultural worlds.
Behavioral: Tools for Life + MISN
Tools for Life focuses on empowering youth to learn more about their culture and their identity. MISN focuses on helping youth get support from their community and social networks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Suicide intent/risk
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
We will use the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) [0 = Never, 10 = Always]
Change from baseline to 3 months
Suicide intent/risk
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
We will use the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) [0 = Never, 10 = Always]
Change from baseline to 6 months
Suicide intent/risk
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
We will use the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) [0 = Never, 10 = Always]
Change from baseline to 12 months
Depression
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) [0 -not at all to 3-nearly every day]
Change from baseline to 3 months
Depression
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) [0 -not at all to 3-nearly every day]
Change from baseline to 6 months
Depression
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) [0 -not at all to 3-nearly every day]
Change from baseline to 12 months
Anxiety
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) [0 -not at all to 3-nearly every day]
Change from baseline to 3 months
Anxiety
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) [0 -not at all to 3-nearly every day]
Change from baseline to 6 months
Anxiety
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) [0 -not at all to 3-nearly every day]
Change from baseline to 12 months
Frequency of alcohol use
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Number of days used in the past 30 days. [ 0 to 30]
Change from baseline to 3 months
Frequency of alcohol use
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Number of days used in the past 30 days [ 0 to 30]
Change from baseline to 6 months
Frequency of alcohol use
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Number of days used in the past 30 days [ 0 to 30]
Change from baseline to 12 months
Alcohol use consequences
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Number of times in the past 3 months youth experience 4 different alcohol consequences [0 = Never to 6 = 20 or more times]
Change from baseline to 3 months
Alcohol use consequences
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Number of times in the past 3 months youth experience 4 different alcohol consequences [0 = Never to 6 = 20 or more times]
Change from baseline to 6 months
Alcohol use consequences
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Number of times in the past 3 months youth experience 4 different alcohol consequences [0 = Never to 6 = 20 or more times]
Change from baseline to 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sobriety self-efficacy
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Three items ask how sure youth are about staying sober from alcohol from 1= def drink to 5 = def not drink
Change from baseline to 3 months
Sobriety self-efficacy
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Three items ask how sure youth are about staying sober from alcohol from 1= def drink to 5 = def not drink
Change from baseline to 6 months
Sobriety self-efficacy
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Three items ask how sure youth are about staying sober from alcohol from 1= def drink to 5 = def not drink
Change from baseline to 12 months
Intentions to be sober from alcohol
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Youth report on intentions to be sober in the next 6 months from 1 = def yes to 4 = def no
Change from baseline to 3 months
Intentions to be sober from alcohol
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Youth report on intentions to be sober in the next 6 months from 1 = def yes to 4 = def no
Change from baseline to 6 months
Intentions to be sober from alcohol
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Youth report on intentions to be sober in the next 6 months from 1 = def yes to 4 = def no
Change from baseline to 12 months
Social network composition
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Participants will be asked to name 15 contacts ("alters") who are at least 18 years of age. Participants will rate each of the 15 people on the same set of questions with categorical response options (about demographics, relationship quality, likelihood to use drugs, etc.). For each participant, the selected responses will be summed across all of the network alters and divided by 15 to produce network composition percentages of the whole set of alters named by the participant (% of AI/ANs, % who engage in heavy drinking).
Change from baseline to 3 months
Social network composition
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Participants will be asked to name 15 contacts ("alters") who are at least 18 years of age. Participants will rate each of the 15 people on the same set of questions with categorical response options (about demographics, relationship quality, likelihood to use drugs, etc.). For each participant, the selected responses will be summed across all of the network alters and divided by 15 to produce network composition percentages of the whole set of alters named by the participant (% of AI/ANs, % who engage in heavy drinking).
Change from baseline to 6 months
Social network composition
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Participants will be asked to name 15 contacts ("alters") who are at least 18 years of age. Participants will rate each of the 15 people on the same set of questions with categorical response options (about demographics, relationship quality, likelihood to use drugs, etc.). For each participant, the selected responses will be summed across all of the network alters and divided by 15 to produce network composition percentages of the whole set of alters named by the participant (% of AI/ANs, % who engage in heavy drinking).
Change from baseline to 12 months
Social network structure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Participants will rate the relationship strength between each of the 15 named alters. For each alter pair participants will rate if the two people know each other and, if yes, have individuals connected recently. Measures of network structure (i.e., network "connectedness") will be constructed from the set of evaluations for each participant. For example, network "density" will be constructed for the network overall, which is calculated by summing the number of alter pairs who know each other and dividing by the total number of possible ties among 15 alters (105). Individual alter "centrality" will be calculated by summing the number of connections each individual alter has with other alters in the network.
Change from baseline to 3 months
Social network structure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Participants will rate the relationship strength between each of the 15 named alters. For each alter pair participants will rate if the two people know each other and, if yes, have individuals connected recently. Measures of network structure (i.e., network "connectedness") will be constructed from the set of evaluations for each participant. For example, network "density" will be constructed for the network overall, which is calculated by summing the number of alter pairs who know each other and dividing by the total number of possible ties among 15 alters (105). Individual alter "centrality" will be calculated by summing the number of connections each individual alter has with other alters in the network.
Change from baseline to 6 months
Social network structure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Participants will rate the relationship strength between each of the 15 named alters. For each alter pair participants will rate if the two people know each other and, if yes, have individuals connected recently. Measures of network structure (i.e., network "connectedness") will be constructed from the set of evaluations for each participant. For example, network "density" will be constructed for the network overall, which is calculated by summing the number of alter pairs who know each other and dividing by the total number of possible ties among 15 alters (105). Individual alter "centrality" will be calculated by summing the number of connections each individual alter has with other alters in the network.
Change from baseline to 12 months
Time spent around peers who use alcohol
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Participants will report on how much time is spent around peers who drink from 0 = never to 3 = often
Change from baseline to 3 months
Time spent around peers who use alcohol
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Participants will report on how much time is spent around peers who drink from 0 = never to 3 = often
Change from baseline to 6 months
Time spent around peers who use alcohol
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Participants will report on how much time is spent around peers who drink from 0 = never to 3 = often
Change from baseline to 12 months
Awareness of connectedness
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Youth report on feelings of connectedness to community, family and environment from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 3 months
Awareness of connectedness
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Youth report on feelings of connectedness to community, family and environment from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 6 months
Awareness of connectedness
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Youth report on feelings of connectedness to community, family and environment from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 12 months
Community protective factors
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Youth Community Protective Factors Scale. Youth report on feelings about different protective factors from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 3 months
Community protective factors
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Youth Community Protective Factors Scale Youth report on feelings about different community protective factors from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 6 months
Community protective factors
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Youth Community Protective Factors Scale Youth report on feelings about different community protective factors from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 12 months
Individual protective factors
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Youth report on feelings about different individual protective factors from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 3 months
Individual protective factors
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Youth report on feelings about different individual protective factors from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 6 months
Individual protective factors
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Youth report on feelings about different individual protective factors from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 12 months
Reasons for life
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
Brief Reasons for Life Scale from 1 not at all important to 5 very important
Change from baseline to 3 months
Reasons for life
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
Brief Reasons for Life Scale from 1 not at all important to 5 very important
Change from baseline to 6 months
Reasons for life
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Brief Reasons for Life Scale from 1 not at all important to 5 very important
Change from baseline to 12 months
Reflective processes
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 3 months
The Reflective Processes scale taps a culturally patterned type of awareness and youth report from from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 3 months
Reflective processes
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 months
The Reflective Processes scale taps a culturally patterned type of awareness and youth report from from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 6 months
Reflective processes
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
The Reflective Processes scale taps a culturally patterned type of awareness and youth report from from 1 = strongly agree to 5 strongly disagree
Change from baseline to 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
RAND

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 22, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 31, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 29, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 29, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 4, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 8, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • YY46Q97AEZA8

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

The investigators will share only deidentified, aggregate data.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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