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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04026308

Written vs Electronic Safety Planning Study

Safety planning is a brief, ED-feasible intervention which has been demonstrated to save lives and has been universally recommended by every recent expert consensus panel on suicide prevention strategies. In one popular version of the safety plan developed by Stanley et al, the patient is encouraged to write out the following items: identifying personal signs of a crisis; helpful internal coping strategies; social contacts or settings which may distract from a crisis; using family members or friends for help when in crisis; mental health professionals who can be contacted when in crisis; and restricting access to lethal means.

This study aims to find out how valuable an electronic safety plan is compared to a traditional paper safety plan. People who are visiting the emergency department for thoughts of self-harm will be asked to participate.

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Key information

Conditions

Suicidal Ideation Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Mental Health Personal Satisfaction Psychological Well-Being Self-Injurious Behavior Suicide Suicide Attempt Suicide Prevention Suicide, Attempted

Age range

18 year–89 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205, United States

About this study

This project has 3 aims: (1) Will ED patients with suicidal ideation/attempt accept coaching on safety planning from non-clinical personnel (i.e., medical students or peer supporters); (2) Are these safety plans of high-enough quality for clinical personnel; and finally, (3) Will ED patients with suicidal ideation/attempt complete safety plans electronically?

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients presenting for suicidal ideation (SI) or after a suicide attempt to the UAMS ED
  • Willingness to engage in safety planning with trained non-clinical staff
  • Have not already filled out a safety plan at the current visit

Exclusion criteria

  • <18 or >89 years of age
  • Incarcerated or in police custody
  • Non-English-speaking or Non-English-writing (as translators will not be available for this study)
  • Critically-ill (or appear to be critically-ill)
  • Intoxicated with alcohol or other substance(s)
  • ED staff objection to patient enrollment in study
  • Unwilling or unable to complete the safety plan electronically
  • Unwilling or unable to use a tablet device to complete the safety plan
  • Unwilling or unable to show/email the safety plan to clinical and research staff

Treatment and study plan

Safety Net App

Other

The Safety Net app is an electronic version of a safety plan and it is available for download in Apple's App Store. A preview of the app is available at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stanley-brown-safety-plan/id695122998. This app is owned by Two Penguins Studios, LLC. It was developed in partnership with the New York State Office of Mental Health. Unlike the paper version, the Safety Net app allows participants to email a copy of their safety plan to whomever they wish. It also allows patients to dial 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from the app.

Other names: Stanley-Brown Safety Plan App

Primary outcomes

  1. Acceptability of Intervention

    Time frame: Up to 12 hours

    The number of patients approached who agree to allow trained non-clinical staff to assist with safety planning.

  2. Length of Stay

    Time frame: Up to 12 hours

    The length of stay in the ED for patients approached who agree to allow trained non-clinical staff to assist with safety planning.

  3. Satisfaction With Safety Planning

    Time frame: Up to 12 hours

    Evaluate patient satisfaction with safety planning. This will be assessed by having the patient rate their experience with the safety planning process on a 7-point Likert scale (1 - strongly disagree; 2 - disagree; 3 - moderately disagree; 4 - neutral; 5 - moderately agree; 6 - agree; 7 - strongly agree). A Likert scale measures how much someone disagrees or agrees with a particular statement.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Arkansas

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Written Safety Planning vs the Safety Net App: A Prospective Randomized Pilot Trial

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Jul 19, 2019
Registry last updated
Mar 21, 2023

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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