Suicide risk assessment and suicide risk management protocol for the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network

Jennifer L Hughes; Joseph M Trombello; Betsy D Kennard; Holli Slater; Afsaneh Rezaeizadeh; Cynthia Claassen; Sarah M Wakefield; Madhukar H Trivedi

doi:10.1016/j.conctc.2023.101151

Suicide risk assessment and suicide risk management protocol for the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network

Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2023 May 25:33:101151. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2023.101151. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Authors

Jennifer L Hughes¹, Joseph M Trombello^{2

3}, Betsy D Kennard⁴, Holli Slater², Afsaneh Rezaeizadeh², Cynthia Claassen⁵, Sarah M Wakefield⁶, Madhukar H Trivedi²

Affiliations

¹ Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
² Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, Department of Psychiatry and The Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
³ Janssen Research and Development, Titusville, NJ, USA.
⁴ The Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
⁵ JPS Health Network, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
⁶ The Department of Psychiatry, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide prevention research is a national priority, and national guidance includes the development of suicide risk management protocols (SRMPs) for the assessment and management of suicidal ideation and behavior in research trials. Few published studies describe how researchers develop and implement SRMPs or articulate what constitutes an acceptable and effective SRMP.

Methods: The Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN) was developed with the goal of evaluating screening and measurement-based care in Texas youth with depression or suicidality (i.e., suicidal ideation and/or suicidal behavior). The SRMP was developed for TX-YDSRN through a collaborative, iterative process, consistent with a Learning Healthcare System model.

Results: The final SMRP included training, educational resources for research staff, educational resources for research participants, risk assessment and management strategies, and clinical and research oversight.

Conclusion: The TX-YDSRN SRMP is one methodology for addressing youth participant suicide risk. The development and testing of standard methodologies with a focus on participant safety is an important next step to further the field of suicide prevention research.

Keywords: Adolescent; Risk assessment; Suicidal ideation; Suicide; Suicide risk management protocol.