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NCT Number: NCT04813185

Preventing Retaliatory Gun Violence in Violently Injured Adults

The purpose of this research study is to find out if a hospital-based violence intervention (Bridging the Gap) is effective for reducing violence. The researchers think that adults who receive Bridging the Gap will see greater improvements than those who do not receive the intervention. This study will allow them to learn more about the intervention's effectiveness. The study will also help them understand if the violence intervention affects other behaviors, such as firearm use, drug use, aggression, risky behaviors, and rates of violent re-injury.

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Key information

Conditions

Violence

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia, 23298, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Nicholas Thomson, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

About this study

Approximately 616 patients will enroll in this study. Participants will be asked to complete sessions about behavior, personality, and experiences. Participants will be randomized into a study group (either Bridging the Gap or Treatment as Usual) by drawing a number. If patients agree to the study but do not like the group they are assigned to, they can request to switch groups. Participants assigned to the Treatment as Usual intervention will receive a brief violence awareness brochure during your hospital stay. Participants assigned to the Bridging the Gap intervention will receive an in-hospital intervention and, once released from the hospital, will receive 6-months of community case management services. The study team thinks that adults who receive the Bridging the Gap intervention will see greater improvements than adults who do not receive the intervention. This study will allow them to learn more about the intervention's effectiveness.

During these study sessions participants will complete questionnaires about exposure to traumatic events, symptoms of trauma, history of suicide, aggression and violence, antisocial personality traits, illegal behaviors, substance use, and mental health. Participants will complete several tasks which measure cognitive ability, such as problem-solving, attention/concentration, and decision-making. They will also complete a clinical interview that covers antisocial personality traits and behaviors, including history of aggressive behavior and substance use. These interviews will be video recorded. These recordings will be used to help score the interviews and for training purposes. Information will also be collected from participant's medical records, including demographic information, history and reason for past hospitalizations, mental health history, and substance use reports, as well as a criminal background check.

The surveys take about 2 hours to complete. Participants will complete these questionnaires again 6 and 12 months later. Participation in this study will last up to 12 months.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • They receive treatment in the hospital for a violence-related injury (e.g., gunshot wound)
  • They are 18 years or older
  • They are English speaking
  • They are eligible for BTG services (which includes living within the BTG catchment area for the hospital; Richmond City and neighboring counties)

Exclusion criteria

  • Non-English speaking
  • Age <18
  • Prisoners

Treatment and study plan

Bridging the Gap

Behavioral

Bridging the Gap Bridging the Gap is a hybrid model for violence prevention which integrates a hospital-based brief violence intervention (BVI) delivered to the patient while in hospital with a wrap-around community case management prevention strategy.

Firearm Counseling Program The firearm counseling program was developed to be administered in the hospital alongside the 6-step intervention program, as well as in the patient's home after hospital discharge. The firearm safety counseling program includes 3 components aimed at understanding patient risk, reducing firearm-related violence risk-factors, and helping patients increase firearm safety practices.

Primary outcomes

  1. Firearm-related violence

    Time frame: 12-months

    Number of firearm-related violence incidents will be measured multiple ways including self-report and a semi-structured clinical assessment of non-convicted firearm-related violence. Incidents will be summed to yield a single count of unique firearm-related violence incidents for each participant.

  2. Firearm-related re-injury

    Time frame: 12-months

    Number of firearm-related re-injury incidents will be measured multiple ways including self-report and hospital records. Incidents will be summed to yield a single count of unique firearm-related re-injuries for each participant.

  3. Firearm-related mortality

    Time frame: 12-months

    Collected from hospital records and National Death Index

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Nicholas Thomson

CONTACT

[email protected]

804-628-5541

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Virginia Commonwealth University

Other

Collaborators

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Registry information

Official study title

Preventing Retaliatory Gun Violence in Violently Injured Adults: A RCT of a Hospital-Based Intervention

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Mar 24, 2021
Registry last updated
Feb 4, 2026

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

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

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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