Integrating the Youth Nominated Support Team (YST) With CBT for Black Youth With Acute Suicide Risk

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN · Apr 15, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new approach to help Black youth at risk of suicide by combining two support methods: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP) and a computer-assisted program called the Youth-Nominated Support Team (eYST). The goal is to see how well this combined approach works and how acceptable it is for young people and their families. The study will involve Black adolescents, aged 12 to 17, who come to an urban emergency department with thoughts of suicide. They will receive 12 sessions of therapy and can choose up to four caring adults from their lives to help support them during this time.

To be eligible for the study, participants must be between 12 and 17 years old, self-identify as Black, and have a parent or guardian available to provide consent. The youth will be evaluated at the start of the program, and again at six weeks and 14 weeks, while parents and support persons will also be assessed at these times. The support persons will learn how to best help the youth through an orientation session. It’s important to note that this trial is not yet recruiting participants, but it aims to provide valuable insights into supporting Black youth facing acute suicide risk.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion criteria for youth:
• • Patients of any gender between the ages of 12 and 17 years
• • Patients that are able to provide at least one verifiable contact for emergency or tracking purposes
• • Eligible for care at MiSide
• • Present to the ED with suicide risk (per protocol)
• • Self-identify as Black (obtain from face sheet collected in triage)
• • Willing and able to complete enrollment procedures
• • Willing and able to provide signed and dated informed assent
• Exclusion criteria for youth:
• • Unable to be consented in English
• • Do not have a parent/legal guardian available to provide consent
• • Are not able to provide informed assent or to participate in the assessment due to significant agitation, psychosis, cognitive impairment, learning disability, or medical trauma
• • Actively engaged in specialty mental health treatment
• Parent/Guardian Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adults 18 years old and older
• • The parent or legal guardian of a youth participating in Aim 2
• • Understand written and spoken English
• • Willing and able to complete enrollment procedures
• • Willing and able to provide signed and dated informed consent
• Parent/Guardian Exclusion Criteria:
• • - Do not understand written and spoken English
• Support Person Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adults 18 years and older
• • Understand written and spoken English
• • Approved to serve as a support person by the parent/legal guardian
• Support Person Exclusion Criteria:
• • Do not understand written and spoken English
• • Not approved to serve as a support person by the parent/guardian