Suicide is the second leading cause of death in American Indians and Alaska Natives aged 10 to 34 years. Suicide rates are especially high in Native teens. Studies show that feeling socially connected reduces thoughts and behaviors associated with suicide. Caring Contacts is a successful program that uses regular communication with suicidal people to increase social connection. We adapted this program into an intervention for Native youth.
We aim to:
- Compare the effectiveness of usual care to that of Caring Contacts in reducing thoughts and behaviors related to suicide
- Evaluate the association between social connectedness and reductions in suicidality.
Funding Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
Project Name: Caring Contacts: A Strengths-based Suicide Prevention Trial in Native Communities (R01MH106419)
Project Years: 2016-2021
Partners: University of Washington
Site Principal Investigator: Lonnie Nelson, PhD., Katherine Comtois, PhD., Jennifer Shaw, PhD.