We are requesting supplemental funds to add a recruitment and treatment site for our randomized controlled trial (RCT) studying the effectiveness of the Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Program (ASSIP). The primary aim of the RCT is to determine the effectiveness of ASSIP in reducing suicide reattempts in a ?real world? US community mental health setting. We also aim to identify incremental cost effectiveness and implementation costs, barriers, and facilitators for a health care system considering delivering ASSIP. Supplemental funding will enable our team to add Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH) in Rochester as a new site, thereby increasing pace of enrollment, ensuring that recruitment targets are met, and providing greater diversity for studying implementation. The additional site will accomplish the following goals: 1. Provide greater diversity and opportunity for identifying barriers and facilitators for the incremental cost- effectiveness analyses. With two clinics providing treatment, we will greatly increase our ability to deliver useful information to future Zero Suicide stakeholders regarding cost and other factors needed for effective implementation. 2. Reduce bias due to site/therapist effects. A second treatment site will mitigate the influence of a single clinic, or even a single therapist, on study effect. The contrast between the Syracuse (parent) and Rochester (supplement) sites will provide opportunity for post-hoc exploration of differences in study effects and implementation variables of interest. 3. Maintain the timeline of the parent award, which was designed to coincide with NYS funding and timeline of the SAMHSA Zero-Suicide grant (responsive to NIMH NOI to Highlight High-Priority Time-Sensitive Research Opportunities). With state support ending in September 2022, it is crucial that we speed recruitment and keep to the original timeline.
This supplement will strengthen effectiveness and implementation aims of an RCT that tests a highly promising new treatment for recent suicide attempt survivors. Adding a study site will speed and diversify recruitment, reduce bias due to site/therapist effects, and improve our ability inform Zero Suicide stakeholders about cost effectiveness and implementation. If hypotheses are supported, the study will provide evidence of a brief, practical, and cost-effective therapy that reduces suicide reattempts in a real-world health setting.
