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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04728815

CAMPUS - Feasibility Sub-Study

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among college students and suicidal ideation and suicide-related behaviors are a frequent presenting problem at college counseling centers (CCCs), which are overburdened. Studies show that some students respond rapidly to treatment, whereas others require considerably more resources. Evidence-based adaptive treatment strategies (ATSs) are needed to address this heterogeneity in responsivity and complexity. ATSs individualize treatment via decision rules specifying how the type and intensity of an intervention can be sequenced based on risk factors, response, or compliance.

The purpose of this multisite study is to investigate the effectiveness of four adaptive treatment strategies (ATSs) to treat college students who report suicidal ideation when first seeking services at their college counseling center This multisite study will enroll moderately to severely suicidal college students in the "emerging adulthood" phase (ages 18-25) seeking services at CCCs. This Sequential Multi-Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) will have two stages of intervention. In Stage 1, 700 participants from four CCCs will be randomized to 4-8 weeks of: 1) a suicide-focused treatment - Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) or 2) Treatment as Usual (TAU). Sufficient responders to either intervention will discontinue services/be stepped down. Non-responders will be re-randomized to one of two Stage 2 higher intensity/dosage intervention options for an additional 4-16 weeks: 1) CAMS (either continued or administered for the first time) or 2) Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which includes individual therapy, skills group, and phone/text coaching for the clients and peer consultation for the counselors.

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Key information

Conditions

Suicide Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Self-Injurious Behavior

Age range

18 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Nevada - Reno, Reno, Nevada, United States

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About this study

We will enroll moderately to severely suicidal college students in the "emerging adulthood" phase (ages 18-25) seeking services at CCCs. Eighty-Five participants (N=85) from four CCCs will be randomized to one of three treatments delivered via a hybrid model: (1) a suicide-focused treatment - Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) for 4-8 weeks (n=35); (2) Treatment as Usual (TAU) for 4-8 weeks (n=15); or (3) Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for 16 weeks (n=35), which includes individual therapy, skills training, phone/text coaching for the clients, and peer consultation for the counselors.

Sufficient responders to CAMS or TAU will discontinue services/be stepped down after 4-8 weeks. Non-responders to CAMS or TAU will be re-randomized to one of two higher intensity/dosage intervention options for an additional 8 weeks of treatment: (1) CAMS (either continued or administered for the first time) or (2) Comprehensive DBT.

For the feasibility study, we will also enroll 12 CCC counselors (3 per site) who will serve as study counselor participants and periodically complete measures focused on the experience of counselors working with suicidal college students.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Enrolled at the university;
  • Eligible to receive counseling services either in person or remotely at the campus CCC (e.g., some students who are living in specific states may not be eligible for therapeutic services).
  • 18 to 25 years of age;
  • Moderate to severe SI over the last two weeks indicated by a score of greater than or equal to 2 on the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS-34) question, "I have thoughts of ending my life" (range is 0 "not at all like me" to 4 "extremely like me"); and
  • Agree to video recording of all therapy and assessment sessions.

Exclusion criteria

  • Students who are deemed clinically inappropriate to receive services at the CCC by an intake counselor because of imminent risk, severe psychosis, or inability to remain enrolled in school (e.g., academic failure);
  • Students being unable to remain enrolled in their university long enough to go through the minimum number of sessions for Stage 1 (4 sessions);
  • Students who have received services at the CCC within the last three months (i.e., ATSs must be based on a new treatment episode).

Treatment and study plan

TAU - Phase 1

Behavioral

4-8 weeks of TAU treatment

CAMS - Phase 1

Behavioral

4-8 weeks of CAMS treatment

DBT - Phase 1 and 2

Behavioral

up to 16 weeks of DBT treatment

CAMS - Phase 2

Behavioral

Up to 8 weeks of CAMS treatment

DBT - Phase 2

Behavioral

Up to 8 weeks of DBT treatment

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Eligible Students Who Agree to Randomization

    Time frame: To the end of initial Randomization (up to 1 week)

    Among students who are eligible to participate in the study and approached about the study by an intake worker, the number who agree to randomization to one of three treatments will be reported.

  2. Counselor Recruitment

    Time frame: To the end of initial counselor recruitment (up to 2 weeks)

    Among the counselors eligible to participate in the study, the number of counselors from each site who agree to participate.

  3. Treatment Adherence as Measured by DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) Adherence Rating Scale

    Time frame: To the end of treatment period (up to 16 weeks)

    Existing gold-standard adherence instruments for DBT will be used to rate a selection of sessions to assess counselors' fidelity to implementing the adaptive treatment strategies. Each item is rated on a scale where 0 = not used/not necessary, 1-3 = below adherence, 4 = minimum threshold for adherence, and 5 = adherent with high sufficiency. The DBT ACS is scored by averaging all non-zero items to create a computed global score where 3.8 and higher is considered "adherent."

  4. Treatment Adherence as Measured by CAMS (Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality) Adherence Rating Scale

    Time frame: To the end of treatment period (up to 16 weeks)

    Existing gold-standard adherence instruments for CAMS will be used to rate a selection of sessions to assess counselors' fidelity to implementing the adaptive treatment strategies. The measure consists of 14 items evaluating clinician performance, all rated on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from 0 ("Poor") to 6 ("Excellent"). A session is rated as adherent with a score of 3.5 or greater.

  5. Number of Sessions Attended by Students in Each Treatment Condition

    Time frame: To the end of treatment period (up to 16 weeks)

  6. Number of Students Who Attrite From the Study (by Withdrawing Early From Treatment or Dropping Out of the Trial)

    Time frame: To the end of treatment period (up to 16 weeks)

  7. Student Treatment Satisfaction as Measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ)

    Time frame: To the end of treatment period (up to 16 weeks)

    CSQ items are rated from 1-4, with higher scores reflecting greater satisfaction.

  8. Counselor Training Satisfaction

    Time frame: To end of initial training period (up to 4 weeks)

    An overall mean treatment satisfaction rating and the associated 95% confidence interval will be calculated based on counselors' responses on the Continuing Education Unit (CEU) evaluation surveys for the CAMS (Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality) and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) online trainings. Item scores range from 1 (Not at all valuable) to 5 (Extremely valuable).

  9. Counselor Assessment of Participant Study Satisfaction During Stage 1 of Treatment as Measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ)

    Time frame: To the end of stage 1 (up to 8 weeks)

    An overall mean treatment satisfaction rating and the associated 95% confidence interval will be calculated based on counselors' responses on the counselor version of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ). Items rated from 1-4, with higher scores reflecting greater satisfaction. Participants were assessed for overall mean treatment satisfaction rating based on counselors' responses on the counselor version of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ). The counselor version of the CSQ is completed by the counselor, based on their assessment of how the subject appreciated and benefited from treatment.

  10. Counselor Assessment of Participant Study Satisfaction During Stage 2 of Treatment as Measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ)

    Time frame: Beginning to end of Stage 2 (up to 8 weeks)

    An overall mean treatment satisfaction rating and the associated 95% confidence interval will be calculated based on counselors' responses on the counselor version of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ). Items rated from 1-4, with higher scores reflecting greater satisfaction. Participants were assessed for overall mean treatment satisfaction rating based on counselors' responses on the counselor version of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ). The counselor version of the CSQ is completed by the counselor, based on their assessment of how the subject appreciated and benefited from treatment.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Duke University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Registry information

Official study title

Comprehensive Adaptive Multisite Prevention of University Student Suicide (CAMPUS) - Feasibility Sub-Study

Acronym: CAMPUS-Feas

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Jan 28, 2021
Registry last updated
Feb 29, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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