Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Suicide is the second leading cause of mortality for Canadian adolescents. Mental health complaints are one of the leading reasons for an emergency department visit at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and 60% of adolescents report suicidal ideation. The goal of the present investigation is to test the efficacy of a brief group intervention for adolescents with passive suicidal ideation and their caregivers that will focus on coping, familial support, and emotional regulation. The investigators hypothesize that a brief group intervention, delivered in the weeks following presentation for crisis services, will reduce suicidal ideation and improve coping and familial support.

Official Title
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Brief Group Intervention for Adolescents With Mild to Moderate Suicidal Ideation and Their Caregivers: Preliminary Investigation for a Novel Treatment Approach

Conditions
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Suicidal Ideation

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Group Intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Mild to moderate suicidal ideation Recently presented for services in response to a psycho-social crisis (Emergency Department, MH Urgent Care) One or two caregiver(s) committed to attending the majority of sessions Exclusion Criteria: Presence of a suicidal plan and/or recent gesture/attempt Psychosis Schizophrenia Dual diagnosis Developmental disability or delay Behavioural problem as primary concern Major substance abuse Currently receiving mental health services (once every two weeks or more frequently) Inability to commit to majority of sessions (minimum 4 of 6 sessions) Children's aid society involvement Inability of at least one caregiver to commit to attending the majority of sessions

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 13 Years
Maximum Age: 17 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Group Intervention<br>The intervention will consist of 6 psycho-educational group sessions for caregivers and 6 psycho-educational group sessions for adolescents. Adolescent and caregiver sessions will be held separately and will focus on different issues. For adolescents, the group sessions will focus on coping strategies and emotional regulation. For caregivers, the group sessions will be focused on attachment, family environment, and validation. | Behavioral: Group Intervention<br>* The intervention will consist of 6 psycho-educational group sessions for caregivers and 6 psycho-educational group sessions for adolescents. Adolescent and caregiver sessions will be held separately and will focus on different issues. For adolescents, the group sessions will focus on coping strategies and emotional regulation. For caregivers, the group sessions will be focused on attachment, family environment, and validation.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Suicidal Ideation | Suicidal ideation will be measured using the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire Junior (SIQ-JR; Reynolds, 1988). Repeated Measures ANOVA or ANCOVA will be used to compare differences in suicidal ideation within groups (pre-post changes). Further comparisons using clinical cut-off will be conducted via McNemar test for matched pairs. | 6 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Familial Support | Familial support will be measured using questionnaires for both caregivers and youth. Youth will respond to the Family Environment Scale (Koren, DeChillo, & Friesen, 1992) and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987). Caregivers will respond to the Family Environment Scale and and Relationship Scale Questionnaire (Griffine & Gartholomew, 1994). Repeated Measures ANOVA or ANCOVA will be used to compare differences within groups (pre-post changes). | 6 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Adolescent, Suicidal Ideation, Emergency Department, Crisis, Attachment, Coping