About this trial
The goal of this observational study is to determine whether implementing a culturally sensitive, tablet-based safety planning program called Plan \& Protect (P\&P) within rural emergency departments can improve home safety and reduce suicide risk in adolescents presenting with suicidality.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Will implementing P\&P increase caregiver-reported home safety (reduce access to firearms and unsafe medication storage) for adolescents 12-17 years old presenting to rural EDs with suicidal ideation, self-harm, or mental health crisis? * Will implementing P\&P decrease adolescent-reported perceived suicide risk and related outcomes (e.g., suicide events, and attendance at follow-up mental healthcare)?
Researchers will compare outcomes for adolescents and caregivers receiving P\&P (implemented as the new standard of care at sites during the intervention periods) to those receiving usual care (prior to P\&P implementation at those hospitals) to see if P\&P increases home safety and decreases suicide risk and related healthcare utilization.
Participants will, if clinically appropriate:
* Complete the tablet-based P\&P modules during their ED visit * Complete self-report measures at baseline, \~30 days, and \~3 months post-discharge * A subset will also participate in semi-structured interviews
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
12-17 years of age (and their parent/caregiver(s))
Ability to speak and complete surveys in English
History of emergency department visit for suicidality, self-harm or mental health crisis
Medically stable
Disqualifiers
Cognitive or developmental delays that preclude program participation based on clinical team assessment
Diagnosis of psychosis
Primary diagnosis of an eating disorder
Parent/guardian not able to provide consent in English
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Plan & Protect safety planning intervention
- Care as usual
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lead sponsor
Trustees of Dartmouth College
Sponsor institution
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Collaborator
Trustees of Dartmouth College
Collaborator