Safety Planning for Military (SAFE MIL): rationale, design, and safety considerations of a randomized controlled trial to reduce suicide risk among psychiatric inpatients.

Mental health related hospitalizations and suicide are both significant public health problems within the United States Department of Defense (DoD). To date, few evidence-based suicide prevention programs have been developed for delivery to military personnel and family members admitted for psychiatric inpatient care due to suicidal self-directed violence. This paper describes the rationale and detailed methodology for a study called Safety Planning for Military (SAFE MIL) which involves a randomized controlled trial (RCT) at the largest military treatment facility in the United States. The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of a brief, readily accessible, and personalized treatment called the Safety Planning Intervention (Stanley and Brown, 2012). Primary outcomes, measured by blinded assessors at one and six months following psychiatric discharge, include suicide ideation, suicide-related coping, and attitudes toward help seeking. Additionally, given the study's focus on a highly vulnerable patient population, a description of safety considerations for human subjects' participation is provided. Based on this research team's experience, the implementation of an infrastructure in support of RCT research within DoD settings and the processing of regulatory approvals for a clinical trial with high risk suicidal patients are expected to take up to 18-24 months. Recommendations for expediting the advancement of clinical trials research within the DoD are provided in order to maximize cost efficacy and minimize the research to practice gap.

Diagnostic and psychosocial differences in psychiatrically hospitalized military service members with single versus multiple suicide attempts.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals with multiple versus single suicide attempts present a more severe clinical picture and may be at greater risk for suicide. Yet group differences within military samples have been vastly understudied. PURPOSE: The objective is to determine demographic, diagnostic, and psychosocial differences, based on suicide attempt status, among military inpatients admitted for suicide-related events. METHOD: A retrospective chart review design was used with a total of 423 randomly selected medical records of psychiatric admissions to a military hospital from 2001 to 2006. RESULTS: Chi-square analyses indicated that individuals with multiple versus single suicide attempts were significantly more likely to have documented childhood sexual abuse (p =.025); problem substance use (p=.001); mood disorder diagnosis (p=.005); substance disorder diagnosis (p =.050); personality disorder not otherwise specified diagnosis (p =.018); and Axis II traits or diagnosis (p=.038) when compared to those with a single attempt history. Logistic regression analyses showed that males with multiple suicide attempts were more likely to have problem substance use (p=.005) and a mood disorder diagnosis (p =.002), while females with a multiple attempt history were more likely to have a history of childhood sexual (p =.027). DISCUSSION: Clinically meaningful differences among military inpatients with single versus multiple suicide attempts exist. Targeted Department of Defense suicide prevention and intervention efforts that address the unique needs of these two specific at-risk subgroups are additionally needed.