Peer Mentorship to Reduce Suicide Attempts Among High-Risk Adults (PREVAIL)

Effectiveness and Implementation of a Peer Mentorship Intervention (PREVAIL) to Reduce Suicide Attempts Among High-Risk Adults

This is a single-blind, randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a peer mentorship intervention (PREVAIL) for reducing suicide risk compared to enhanced usual care among participants (N=455) at high-risk for suicide recruited from inpatient psychiatric units.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Suicidal Ideation
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Peer mentorship; Behavioral: Enhanced Usual Care

Detailed Description

Amid consistently worsening suicide rates, in 2012 the U.S. Surgeon General's National Strategy for Suicide Prevention proposed to "change the narrative" about suicide prevention to include a focus on promoting hope and belongingness. Despite hopelessness and thwarted belongingness being among the most replicated risk factors for suicide, many widely implemented suicide prevention efforts instead emphasize the identification of acute suicide risk and referral to mental health treatment services. However, there are very few health service interventions known to reduce suicides among those identified as high risk. Those interventions shown to be effective have not achieved the wide scale implementation necessary to alter the trend of increasing suicide deaths. New interventions are needed, and one promising, scalable intervention with a novel approach to addressing the risk factors advocated by the Surgeon General is peer mentorship. A peer mentorship intervention, PREVAIL, has been piloted in a two-site randomized controlled trial (N=70) and is acceptable and feasible with enrollment of nearly half of eligible high-risk patients, mean completion of over 6 mentorship sessions, and 85% of sessions meeting fidelity standards for addressing the intended targets of hope and belongingness.

The aims of this hybrid effectiveness-implementation study are:

Specific Aim 1: Determine the effectiveness of the PREVAIL peer mentorship intervention for reducing suicide attempts and suicidal ideation among recently hospitalized adult psychiatric patients at high risk for suicide.

Specific Aim 2: Examine the mechanisms of peer mentorship by measuring the effects of PREVAIL on potential mediators,including hope and belongingness.

Specific Aim 3: Identify barriers and facilitators to implementation of PREVAIL.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 455
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Michigan
    • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
      • University of Michigan Inpatient Psychiatry Unit
    • Ferndale, Michigan, United States, 48220
      • Henry Ford Kingswood Hospital
    • Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States, 48043
      • Henry Ford Macomb Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. are age 18 years or older,
2. are currently admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit and have medical record documentation of suicidal ideation or suicide attempt at the time of admission,
3. have a Beck Suicide Scale score of 5 or higher for the 1-week period prior to admission,
4. are fluent in English,
5. are able to be reached reliably by telephone.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. substantially cognitively impaired (according to the Mini-Cog),
2. unable to provide informed consent for any reason (including incompetency),
3. determined by the patient's attending psychiatrist that peer mentorship is not appropriate due to unstable psychosis, cognitive disorder, or severe personality disorder,
4. already receiving or intending to receive peer mentorship (i.e., sponsor from Alcoholics Anonymous) or group-based peer support on a biweekly or more frequent basis,
5. residing more than 50 miles from any peer mentor,
6. planning to be discharged to another inpatient or residential facility, or
7. receiving electroconvulsive therapy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Peer Mentorship intervention (PREVAIL); PREVAIL peer mentorship	Behavioral: Peer mentorship; The PREVAIL intervention will be delivered by a Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) or Peer Recovery Coach. Participants will select a Peer to work with based on brief personal descriptions. Sessions may occur in-person (public place, the participant's home, or a research clinic space) or remotely (phone or video call). The first meeting will occur while the participant is hospitalized, and subsequent sessions will be scheduled per the participant's preferences, with a suggested frequency of twice weekly for weeks 1-2, weekly for weeks 3-8, and every other week for the last month. Sessions will last 1 hour on average and will consist of semi-structured conversations focused on protective factors such as hope, safety planning, and coping skills. Session structure and content are intentionally flexible to allow for general supportive listening, validation, sharing, and genuineness in the relationship, thereby increasing acceptability and implicit belongingness.; Other Names: PREVAIL; Behavioral: Enhanced Usual Care; The EUC condition will consist of a "caring message" from the study team via e-mail or text message (based on the participant's preference) 24-72 hours after discharge. An example message is, "We hope things are going well for you since you left the hospital. If you wish to reply, we'd be glad to hear from you." A list of local mental health resources will be available if participants reply and during the 3 and 6-month follow-up assessments. The EUC condition is modeled on prior studies of caring letters and brief contacts by health professionals after suicidal crisis and national recommendations to provide post-crisis follow-up contacts.; Other Names: EUC
Active Comparator: Enhanced Usual Care (EUC); Enhanced Usual Care	Behavioral: Enhanced Usual Care; The EUC condition will consist of a "caring message" from the study team via e-mail or text message (based on the participant's preference) 24-72 hours after discharge. An example message is, "We hope things are going well for you since you left the hospital. If you wish to reply, we'd be glad to hear from you." A list of local mental health resources will be available if participants reply and during the 3 and 6-month follow-up assessments. The EUC condition is modeled on prior studies of caring letters and brief contacts by health professionals after suicidal crisis and national recommendations to provide post-crisis follow-up contacts.; Other Names: EUC

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Suicide Attempts, as Measured by the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS)	Number of participants reporting any suicide attempt, as reported on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS). The definition of suicide attempt for the primary outcome will consist of any actual suicide attempt, aborted suicide attempt, or interrupted suicide attempt reported on the CSSR-S.	3 months, 6 months
Suicidal Ideation (Current), as Measured by the Beck Suicide Scale (BSS)	Patient's current suicidal ideation as measured by the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS). The BSS is a 19-item (5 screening items are first administered to determine whether the remaining items are administered) self-report scale that assesses thoughts, plans and intent to commit suicide. All 19 items are rated on a three-point scale (0 to 2). Total scores could range from 0 to 38. No specific cut-off scores exist to classify severity. Higher scores mean a worse outcome (greater suicide risk).	3 months, 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Suicide Attempts (Measured by the Medical Record)	Count of participants with any suicide attempt as notated in the patient's electronic medical record. The definition of suicide attempt for the primary outcome will consist of any actual suicide attempt, aborted suicide attempt, or interrupted suicide attempt.	6-months
Self Efficacy to Avoid Suicidal Action (Measured by the Self Efficacy to Avoid Suicidal Action Scale)	Participants' sense of self-efficacy to avoid suicidal action, as measured by the 6-item Self Efficacy to Avoid Suicidal Action Scale (SEASA). To indicate level of confidence, respondents rate each item on a 9-point scale (where 0=very uncertain and 9=very certain). Scores range between 0 and 54; lower scores are associated with worse outcomes (a higher incidence and greater severity of suicide attempts).	3 months, 6 months
Suicidal Ideation (Worst-point), as Measured by the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS)	Patient's worst-point suicidal ideation as measured by the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS). The BSS is a 19-item (5 screening items are first administered to determine whether the remaining items are administered) self-report scale that assesses thoughts, plans and intent to commit suicide. All 19 items are rated on a three-point scale (0 to 2). Total scores could range from 0 to 38. No specific cut-off scores exist to classify severity. Higher scores mean a worse outcome (greater suicide risk).	3 months, 6 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Depression, as Measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)	The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a 9-item, self-report survey which assesses frequency of depression symptoms over the past 2 weeks on a 4-item response scale (where 0 = "Not at all" and 3 = "Nearly every day"). Scores range between 0 and 27, with high scores indicating worse outcomes (more severe depression)	3 months, 6 months
Hope, as Measured by the State Hope Scale (SHS)	The State Hope Scale (SHS) is a 6-item, self-report measure that assesses hopeful thinking along two sub-scales reflecting respondents' personal capacity for change (agency) and knowledge regarding how to achieve change (pathways). Total scores range from 6 to 48. Higher scores indicated better outcomes (greater hope).	3-months
Burdensomeness, as Measured by the Perceived Burdensomeness Subscale of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ-10)	The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ-10) is a 10-item, self-report measure of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. The perceived burdensomeness subscale of the INQ-10 consists of 4 items; scores range from 4 to 28, with higher scores indicating worse outcomes (greater perceived burdensomeness).	3-months
Perceived Emotional Support (Measured by the NIH Toolbox Adult Social Relationship Scales (ASRS))	The Adult Toolbox Social Relationship Scales measures social relationship concepts including social support, companionship, and social distress. The Emotional Support subscale consists of 8 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Scores range from 8 to 40; higher scores indicate better outcomes (greater perceived emotional support).	3-months
Perceived Instrumental Support (Measured by the NIH Toolbox Adult Social Relationship Scales (ASRS))	The Adult Toolbox Social Relationship Scales measures social relationship concepts including social support, companionship, and social distress. The Instrumental Support subscale consists of 8 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Scores range from 8 to 40; higher scores indicate better outcomes (greater perceived instrumental support).	3-months
Perceived Friendship (Measured by the NIH Toolbox Adult Social Relationship Scales (ASRS))	The Adult Toolbox Social Relationship Scales measures social relationship concepts including social support, companionship, and social distress. The Friendship subscale consists of 8 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Scores range from 8 to 40; higher scores indicate better outcomes (greater perceived friendship).	3-months
Loneliness (Measured by the NIH Toolbox Adult Social Relationship Scales (ASRS))	The Adult Toolbox Social Relationship Scales measures social relationship concepts including social support, companionship, and social distress. The Loneliness subscale consists of 5 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Scores range from 5 to 25; higher scores indicate worse outcomes (greater loneliness).	3-months
Perceived Rejection (Measured by the NIH Toolbox Adult Social Relationship Scales (ASRS))	The Adult Toolbox Social Relationship Scales measures social relationship concepts including social support, companionship, and social distress. The perceived rejection subscale consists of 8 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Scores range from 8 to 40; higher scores indicate worse outcomes (greater loneliness).	3-months
Quality of Life (Measured by the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF))	Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF) consists of 14 items, assesses satisfaction with a variety of life domains such as physical health, work, and social relationships. The scoring of the Q-LES-Q-SF involves summing only the first 14 items to yield a raw total score. The last two items are not included in the total score but are standalone items. The raw total score ranges from 14 to 70. Higher level of enjoyment and satisfaction with life are reflected in higher scores.	3 months, 6 months
Functional Status (Measured by the SF-12)	The SF-12 covers domains including: (1) physical functioning; (2) role-physical; (3) bodily pain; (4) general health; (5) vitality; (6) social functioning; (7) role emotional; and (8) mental health. Summary scores are calculated by summing factor-weighted scores across all 8 subscales, with factor weights derived from a US-based general population sample. Physical and Mental Health Composite Scores (PCS & MCS) are computed using the scores of twelve questions and range from 0 to 100, where a zero score indicates the lowest level of health measured by the scales and 100 indicates the highest level of health.	3 months, 6 months
Hopelessness (Measured by the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS))	Measure of patients' negative attitudes about the future and will be the primary measure of hopelessness. The BHS consists of 20 true-false statements that measure the degree of pessimism and negativity about the future. Summed scores range from 0 to 20. Scores provide a measure of the severity of self-reported hopelessness: 0-3 minimal, 4-8 mild, 9-14 moderate, and 15-20 severe.	3-months
Perceived Social Support (Measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MDPSS))	The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MDPSS) contains 12 Likert scale items with three subscales to address different sources of support: family, friends, and significant other. Total scores are an average (mean) of the subscale scores. Mean scores under 2.9 are considered low support, mean scores 3-5 are considered moderate, and 5.1-7 are considered high. Scores range from 1-7, with 1 representing lowest support and 7 representing highest support.	3-months
Self-reported Utilization of Health Care Services, as Measured by the Adapted Health Services Inventory	Count of participants who self-reported utilizing any mental health care services.	3 months, 6 months
Medication Adherence, as Measured by the Single-Item Self Rating (SISR) Scale for Medication Adherence	Single item that ask patients' ability to take their medications as their doctor prescribed them, rated on a 6-point scale from 1 = "Excellent" to 6 = "Very Poor," such that higher scores indicate worse outcomes (poorer adherence with taking medications as prescribed).	3 months, 6 months
Perceived Meaning in Life, as Measured by the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ)	The Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) consists of 10 items measured on a 7-point likert scale ranging from absolutely true to absolutely not true. The measure consists of two subscales: presence of meaning and search for meaning. Subscale scores range from 5 to 35; higher scores indicated better outcomes (greater meaning).	3 months, 6 months
Worst Suicidal Ideation in Past 3 Months (Measured by the Beck Suicide Scale (BSS))	Patient's worst suicidal ideation in the previous 3-month time period as measured by the Beck Suicide Scale (BSS). The BSS is a self-report 19-item scale preceded by five screening items. The BSS and its screening items assess thoughts, plans and intent to commit suicide. All 24 items are rated on a three-point scale (0 to 2). Total scores could range from 0 to 38 (if the screening items are included). No specific cut-off scores exist to classify severity. Increasing scores reflect greater suicide risk.	3-months
Worst Suicidal Ideation in Past 3 Months (Measured by the Beck Suicide Scale (BSS))	Patient's worst suicidal ideation in the previous 3-month time period as measured by the Beck Suicide Scale (BSS). The BSS is a self-report 19-item scale preceded by five screening items. The BSS and its screening items assess thoughts, plans and intent to commit suicide. All 24 items are rated on a three-point scale (0 to 2). Total scores could range from 0 to 38 (if the screening items are included). No specific cut-off scores exist to classify severity. Increasing scores reflect greater suicide risk.	6-months
Thwarted Belongingness, as Measured by the Thwarted Belongingness Subscale of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ-10)	The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ-10) is a 10-item, self-report measure of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. The thwarted belongingness subscale of the INQ-10 consists of 6 items; scores range from 5 to 35, with higher scores indicating worse outcomes (greater thwarted belongingness).	3-months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Michigan
• Collaborators: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Paul Pfeiffer, MD, University of Michigan

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Witt KG, Hetrick SE, Rajaram G, Hazell P, Taylor Salisbury TL, Townsend E, Hawton K. Psychosocial interventions for self-harm in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 22;4(4):CD013668. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013668.pub2.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 22, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 30, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): September 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 28, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 13, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): December 14, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 30, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 10, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Suicide Risk; Psychiatric Hospitalization; Peer Mentorship
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Self-Injurious Behavior; Suicide; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide, Attempted
• Other Study ID Numbers: HUM00137787; 1R01MH115111-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No