Smartphone App Enhanced Facilitation Among Veterans in a Mental Health Inpatient Setting (Project HOPE)

Launched by VA OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT · Apr 17, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called Project HOPE, is studying a new intervention designed to help reduce the risk of suicide among Veterans after they leave the hospital for mental health treatment. The intervention is called the Virtual Hope Box Enhanced Facilitation (VHB-EF), which uses a smartphone app to provide support and resources for managing feelings of distress. The study will also include interviews with Veterans and healthcare providers to understand what might help or hinder the use of this app in healthcare settings.

To participate in this study, Veterans need to be 18 years or older and have been recently hospitalized for a suicidal crisis. They must also be medically stable and have a smartphone to download the app. Participants will be asked about their thoughts and feelings related to suicide and will receive support through the app after they leave the hospital. This study is currently recruiting participants, and it aims to make mental health resources more accessible for Veterans in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• Those enrolled in the RCT component of this study must be:
• • 1) Veterans aged 18 or older
• • 2) admitted to the inpatient psychiatric unit for a self-diagnosed recent suicidal crisis in intake notes
• • 3) medically stable (the patient's medical and psychological fitness \[including aggression\] to provide informed consent will be determined by a member of the patient's treatment team)
• • 4) A score of 3 on the Callahan 6-item cognitive screening.
• Additional inclusion criteria for the full baseline and follow-up portions of the study include:
• • 1) report current suicidal ideation (Scale for Suicidal Ideation \[SSI\]; sum of items 4 and 5 \> 0, referencing the week prior to their hospitalization) as reported during the screening interview
• • 2) no reported use of the VHB within the past 12-months
• • 3) own a smartphone to download the VHB app
• Exclusion Criteria:
• Veterans will be found ineligible for the program if:
• • 1) do not understand English
• • 2) are prisoners
• • 3) are unable to provide informed consent
• • 4) have profound psychotic symptoms and/or cognitive deficits that would prevent patients from understanding the content of the intervention and/or assessments
• • 5) do not own a smartphone