Clinical trial NCT04067401: Career Enhancement Training Study (USAF)
Official title: Career Enhancement Training Study (USAF)
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Suicidal Ideation
Lead sponsor: University of Rochester
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: United States Department of Defense
First posted: 2019-08-26
Enrollment: 1485
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: The study design will involve randomizing approximately 1440 Airman-in-Training (AiT) within 160 Technical Training classes to one of two conditions: Wingman-Connect or a brief Stress Management training. Randomization will occur at the class level, since Wingman-Connect is designed to train AiTs within a class together as a group (those who voluntarily enroll).
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: A study evaluating a training program to decrease risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors among early career trainees in the United States Air Force.

Detailed description: Relationship disruptions and social isolation are major precipitants for military suicides and a range of problems that impair functioning and reduce mission readiness. However, nearly all current military suicide prevention programming focuses on a narrow range of approaches for individuals already at high-risk (e.g., training to detect warning signs and refer for treatment services). This project addresses the need for universal prevention approaches to proactively strengthen protective factors across military populations, including strengthening social connectedness and skills to grow and sustain relationships across service.

The aims of this project are to (a) develop an intervention for early-career, enlisted United States Air Force personnel using an active training approach to strengthening social bonds, and (b) test the intervention (i.e., Wingman-Connect) using a randomized controlled trial design.

Wingman-Connect focuses on Airman-in-Training to build protective factors in: Kinship (healthy bonds); Guidance (support from mentors and mental health); Purpose (goals, sense of being valued and valuable); and Balance (self-care and support). Half of the training is focused on the class as a group to build belonging and shared purpose.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Airmen-in-Training (AiT) in Technical Training classes in the 365 or 363 Training Squadrons of the 82 Training Wing (82 TRW)
* Eligible classes must be between 37-91 class days in length

Exclusion Criteria:

* Airmen from other countries receiving training in US
* Airmen who are not in their first year of enlistment

Primary outcomes:
measure: Mean Computerized Adaptive Testing for Suicide Severity
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Mean Computerized Adaptive Testing for Suicide Severity
timeFrame: 1 month
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Mean Computerized Adaptive Testing for Depression
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Computerized Adaptive Testing for Depression
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Mean Behavioral Occupational Performance Outcomes
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Mean Behavioral Occupational Performance Outcomes
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Mean Class Cohesion
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Mean Number of Positive Connections to Classmates
timeFrame: 1 month
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Wichita Falls
country: United States
facility: Sheppard Air Force Base
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Rochester Medical Center, Psychiatry Dept
name: Peter A Wyman, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Gibbons RD, Kupfer D, Frank E, Moore T, Beiser DG, Boudreaux ED. Development of a Computerized Adaptive Test Suicide Scale-The CAT-SS. J Clin Psychiatry. 2017 Nov/Dec;78(9):1376-1382. doi: 10.4088/JCP.16m10922.
citation: Wyman PA, Brown CH, LoMurray M, Schmeelk-Cone K, Petrova M, Yu Q, Walsh E, Tu X, Wang W. An outcome evaluation of the Sources of Strength suicide prevention program delivered by adolescent peer leaders in high schools. Am J Public Health. 2010 Sep;100(9):1653-61. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.190025. Epub 2010 Jul 15.
citation: Petrova M, Wyman PA, Schmeelk-Cone K, Pisani AR. Positive-Themed Suicide Prevention Messages Delivered by Adolescent Peer Leaders: Proximal Impact on Classmates' Coping Attitudes and Perceptions of Adult Support. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2015 Dec;45(6):651-63. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12156. Epub 2015 Feb 18.
citation: Gibbons RD, Weiss DJ, Pilkonis PA, Frank E, Moore T, Kim JB, Kupfer DJ. Development of a computerized adaptive test for depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012 Nov;69(11):1104-12. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2012.14.
citation: Herrell RK, Edens EN, Riviere LA, Thomas JL, Bliese PD, Hoge CW. Assessing functional impairment in a working military population: the Walter Reed functional impairment scale. Psychol Serv. 2014 Aug;11(3):254-64. doi: 10.1037/a0037347.
citation: Williams, J, Brown, JM, Bray, RM, Anderson Goodell, EM, Olmsted, KR, Adler, AB. (2016) Unit Cohesion, Resilience, and Mental Health of Soldiers in Basic Combat Training, Military Psychology, 28:4, 241-250, DOI: 10.1037/mil0000120
citation: Wyman PA, Pisani AR, Brown CH, Yates B, Morgan-DeVelder L, Schmeelk-Cone K, Gibbons RD, Caine ED, Petrova M, Neal-Walden T, Linkh DJ, Matteson A, Simonson J, Pflanz SE. Effect of the Wingman-Connect Upstream Suicide Prevention Program for Air Force Personnel in Training: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Oct 1;3(10):e2022532. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.22532.