Cognitive Therapy for Suicidal Older Men in Primary Care Settings

Older adult males have the highest suicide rate of any age group in the U.S. Over 70 percent of older suicide victims have been to their primary care physician within a month of their death, many with a depressive illness that was not detected. However, most research concerning treatments for suicide ideation and behavior has focused on adolescents and young adults. Very few treatments have been developed to reduce suicide ideation and behavior in men aged 60 and above. This study will assess the effectiveness of specialized cognitive therapy versus typical treatment in treating older men with suicide ideation.

Participants in this two-year, single-blind study will be randomly assigned to receive either cognitive therapy combined with enriched care or enriched care alone. Participants will be identified in primary care settings as having experienced suicide ideation in the past month. Cognitive therapy will be provided by Ph.D.-level therapists and will be geared specifically toward older men with suicidal tendencies. The enriched care condition will consist of the usual care that individuals receive for suicide prevention, plus assessment and referral services provided by independent evaluators and study case managers. All participants will be assessed pre-treatment to attain baseline measures of suicide ideation, hopelessness, and depression. Study visits will occur at baseline and Months 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 to assess suicide ideation. Self-report and clinician-administered measures will be used to assess participants' progress.

For information on a related study, please follow this link:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00218725

Inclusion criteria

• Currently experiencing death ideation or suicidal ideation (total score greater than 0 on the Scale for Suicide Ideation)
• English-speaking
• Lives within the area served by the research unit
• Able to provide at least 2 verifiable contacts (typically family members)

Exclusion criteria

• Requires priority treatment for an acute, unstable, or severe Axis III disorder (e.g., dementia)
• Requires priority treatment for another debilitating problem (e.g., severe alcohol or drug dependence, mania, severe anorexia)
• Suffers from a psychotic disorder or psychotic thought processes
• Exhibits self-mutilating behavior without any intent to commit suicide (e.g., burning oneself with a cigarette)