Telehealth Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE

Suicide rates continue to increase in the US. Evidence-based treatments for suicide risk exist, but their effectiveness when delivered via telehealth remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To test the efficacy of brief cognitive behavioral therapy (BCBT) for reducing suicide attempts and suicidal ideation among high-risk adults when delivered via telehealth.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This 2-group parallel randomized clinical trial comparing BCBT with present-centered therapy (PCT) was conducted from April 2021 to September 2023 with 1-year follow-up at an outpatient psychiatry and behavioral health clinic located in the midwestern US. Participants reporting suicidal ideation during the past week and/or suicidal behavior during the past month were recruited from clinic waiting lists, inpatient service, intermediate care, research match, and direct referrals from clinicians. A total of 768 participants were invited to participate, 112 were assessed for eligibility, and 98 were eligible and randomly assigned to a treatment condition. Data analysis was from April to September 2024.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants received either BCBT, an evidence-based suicide-focused treatment that teaches emotion regulation and reappraisal skills, or PCT, a goal-oriented treatment that helps participants identify adaptive responses to stressors. Participants were randomized using a computerized stratified randomization algorithm with 2 strata (sex and history of suicide attempts).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was suicide attempts as measured by the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Revised. The secondary outcome was severity of suicidal ideation as measured by the Scale for Suicide Ideation.

RESULTS

Participants included 96 adults (mean [SD] age, 31.8 [12.6] years; 64 female [66.7%] and 32 male [33.3%]), with 51 receiving BCBT and 45 receiving PCT. Of all participants, 85 (88.5%) completed at least 1 session. From baseline to 12 months, 12 participants receiving PCT (estimated percentage, 35.6%) made 56 suicide attempts and 11 participants receiving BCBT (estimated percentage, 30.0%) made 36 suicide attempts. Participants randomized to BCBT made significantly fewer suicide attempts than participants randomized to PCT (mean [range], 0.70 [0.00-8.00] attempts per participant vs 1.40 [0.00-10.00] per participant) and had a 41% reduced risk for suicide attempts (hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.36-0.96; P = .03). Severity of suicidal ideation significantly decreased in both treatments (F4,330 = 50.1; P < .001) but did not differ between groups (F4,330  = 0.2; P = .91).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The findings of this randomized clinical trial suggest that BCBT delivered via video telehealth is effective for reducing suicide attempts among adults with recent suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04844294.