SAFEGUARD Life Force Study

Launched by UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES · Jun 25, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study, called the SAFEGUARD Life Force Study, is looking at a special 6-week group program designed to help soldiers build mental toughness. Mental toughness means staying strong and positive even when facing tough situations, bouncing back from setbacks, and keeping focused on goals. The program teaches skills based on five key ideas: Control, Commitment, Challenge, Confidence, and Connection. This research is the first to test a version of this program adapted specifically for the military.

Soldiers eligible to join are active duty and stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, attending certain training or support programs, and identified as at higher risk for suicide based on their health and service records. If chosen to participate, soldiers will be randomly placed in either the training group, which meets once a week for six weeks in group sessions, or a comparison group that only completes surveys. Everyone will fill out short surveys before the program starts and again 3 and 6 months later to see how they are doing. Participation requires consent to use military records along with survey answers to understand how well the program works. Throughout the study, all participants continue to receive their usual care and support.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Active duty Soldiers stationed at Fort Cavazos, TX attending Reception Week at the IRC, mandatory training at the PFC, or group post-deployment services at the DRC. Soldiers who have consented to participate and are identified as being at highest risk for suicide attempt and/or death will be eligible to participate in the training program.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Current or previous participation in a SAFEGUARD study, including SAFEGUARD Life Skills, or SAFEGUARD Pathfinding. Self-identified plan of leaving service in active-duty Army, having a permanent change in station (PCS), or deployment within 6 months of enrollment (assessed as part of baseline assessment). Given the likely complex needs of these soldiers, we anticipate many will be actively involved with a range of services and resources commonly considered standard of care (e.g., behavioral health care); connection to these will not be considered an inclusion or exclusion criteria. All participants, regardless of study condition, will receive standard of care throughout study participation.