Veterans Health Administration (VHA) suicide rates remain high, requiring new approaches. VHA patients tend to have high medical and behavioral health care needs that cause disruption in their lives and heighten their risk of suicide. This study will adapt and pilot test an intervention that expands the focus of care for VHA patients with high risk for suicide to building a life of self-respect, meaning, and connectedness in one's local community. The pilot intervention will involve receiving support and mentorship from a fellow Veteran living with the same challenges who has been trained in helping others manage their disabilities while achieving specific life goals (i.e., a 'Peer Specialist'). Results from this study will demonstrate the preliminary effectiveness of supplementing the VHA's current clinical approaches to suicide prevention with support provided by a trained Peer Specialist that offers empathy, hope, and practical advice that stemming from 'lived experience' of disability and recovery.
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questionnaire About the Process of Recovery (QPR) Change
Timeframe: Baseline, post intervention (12 weeks)
Hearth Hope Index
Timeframe: Baseline, post intervention (12 weeks)
Suicide Cognitions Scale (SCS) Change
Timeframe: Baseline, post intervention (12 weeks)
Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) Change - Perceived Burden
Timeframe: Baseline, post intervention (12 weeks)
Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) Change - Thwarted Belonging
Timeframe: Baseline, post intervention (12 weeks)
Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS) Change
Timeframe: Baseline, post intervention (12 weeks)
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) - Suicidal Ideation
Timeframe: Baseline, post intervention (12 weeks)
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) - Suicidal Ideation Intensity
Timeframe: Baseline, post intervention (12 weeks)