TREATMENT STUDIES
STEP: Skills to Enhance Positivity in Adolescents at Risk for Suicide (PI: Dr. Wolff)
The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the Skills to Enhance Positivity (STEP) intervention in reducing suicidal behaviors in adolescents. Participants are being actively recruited from Bradley Hospital, Butler Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Parents are also invited to participate, though the parent can decline with no effect on their child’s enrollment in the study. This study is comparing two forms of treatment: enhanced treatment as usual where the participant receives 60 days of text messages encouraging review of safety plan and a 4-session positive psychology-based intervention. Participants complete initial interviews, questionnaires, and a computer task. At discharge, all participants will receive text messages daily for the first month and every other day for the following two-months. Follow-up assessments will also be conducted.
Safe Steps (PI: Dr. Wolff & Dr. Spirito)
The purpose of this study is to learn how to improve the care of teens and young adults who come to the Emergency Department with suicidal and/or self-harm thoughts or behavior. Participants are being actively recruited from Rhode Island Hospital in the Hasbro and Anderson Emergency Departments. The study compares two kinds of evidence-based care. Both emphasize high quality care in the ED, and one includes brief therapeutic follow-up after leaving the ED. In both conditions, participants will be given tools and resources to use in their life. Both conditions have been shown to improve safety and reduce risk of self-harm and suicide. Insights from study participants will help future patients and families to receive better care. Participants complete a survey while they are in the ED, and periodically after they leave the ED, over a period of 12 months.
JJ-COPES (PI: Dr. Kemp & Dr. Wolff)
This study implements the JJ-COPES intervention to enhance access to evidence-based suicide treatment for 1,600 youth involved in the juvenile legal system. Focusing on crisis prevention, problem-solving, goal-setting, safety planning, and parenting support, JJ-COPES is rolled out through nine community mental health agencies in a stepped-wedge design that involves four phases. Qualitative interviews, clinician administered self-reports, and organizational readiness assessments are conducted to identify factors influencing the implementation and sustained application of JJ-COPES skills.
ASSESSMENT STUDIES
SMHS: Social Media and Health Study (PI: Nesi; Mentor: Spirito)
This study examines how and for whom social media use increases risk for suicidality among adolescents, using experimental eye-tracking methods and machine learning analyses of social media data.
TEDS: Teen Decision-Making Study (PI: Dr. Thomas)
The goal of this study is to understand behavior and brain activity related to how teens make decisions and respond to rewards because we want to understand how decision-making may differ based on teens’ amount of marijuana use. We are enrolling teens ages 14-17 with a range of marijuana use- from none to a lot. Participation involves answering questions in interviews and surveys, computer games, and a brain scan (MRI). To be eligible, teens must have a parent or guardian willing to participate (we do not share substance use information with parents), and must not have braces, permanent retainer, or implanted metal. For more information about the Teen Decision-Making study, call use at 401-365-4320, email use at teendecisionmakingstudy@gmail.com, or click here [tinyurl.com/teds1417].
The Teens’ Attitudes Toward Self Study (PI: Dr. Kudinova)
We are currently conducting a family study that focuses on examining whether differential neural processing of youths’ attitudes toward self (e.g., self-criticism) are linked to their mental health symptoms assessed in their real-world environment, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Children and adolescents are recruited on the range of suicidal thoughts and behavior, so some participants may have none or very little thoughts about suicide and some may have a lot. This is significant, because identifying specific neural mechanisms underlying the interplay between self-referential processes, and suicidal thoughts and behavior can help ascertain which youths are at a greater risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior and contribute to the development or augmentation of treatment. For more information, call (401) 250-2808 for Anastacia Kudinova, Ph.D. at Bradley Hospital, email kudinovalab@gmail.com, or follow this link: https://is.gd/teenattitudes2self
Teen Mind Study (PI: Dr. Kudinova)
We are currently conducting a study that focuses on the connection between teens’ sleep patterns, repetitive thinking focused on negative self-evaluation, and thoughts about suicide. We recruit teens on a range of suicidal thoughts and behaviors,so some participants may have none or very little thoughts about suicide and some may have a lot. We hope that the information learned from this study will help guide the development of interventions for teens that target negative thoughts about self and sleep to reduce suicidal ideation. For more information, call (508) 343-0751 or email sleepteensstudy@gmail.com
Sleep Pilot (PI: Dr. Thompson)
Our psychosis, sleep, and stress project aims to examine daily interrelations between psychosis-spectrum symptoms (hallucinations and paranoia), sleep quality, measured via actigraphy and self-report, and stress, measured via self-report and an inflammatory biomarker (interleukin-1 beta), in adolescents with clinical high risk or first-episode psychosis conditions. For more information, call (401) 400-1219 or email lincstudyri@gmail.com.
RISK (PI: Dr. Wolff)
This study seeks to enhance our understanding of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in preteens (8-12 year olds) and associated risk factors within clinical populations. Participants are actively being recruited from the inpatient and partial hospitalization programs at our two study sites: Bradley Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital. While at the hospital, preteen participants will be administered a comprehensive interview on preteen STBs as well as a battery of self-report surveys and cognitive tasks. Parents will complete similar assessments over virtual visits. After discharge, there will be 2 brief follow ups sessions at 6 and 12 months. Parents will also be asked to answer 5 questions each month via email for the full year. For more information, call (401) 432-1146 or email riskstudybradley@gmail.com.