Suicidality
Conditions
Keywords
suicide, veterans, assessment, CAMS
Brief summary
This investigation is a feasibility study conducted in a VA outpatient treatment setting. The study is designed to test the feasibility of implementing a novel way of working with suicidal patients, the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). The primary purpose of the proposed project is to determine if it is possible to train clinicians working in the Mental Health Clinic at the Denver VA Medical Center (VAMC) to utilize this therapeutic framework. This project is extremely timely in relation to expectations of future increased clinical demands among potentially high-risk Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans who may become suicidal in the years to come.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCAMS
First, as discussed above, suicidality is the focus of treatment rather than one of many symptoms being treated. Second is the emphasis on patient and therapist collaborating on treatment rather than the therapist dictating how therapy progresses. Beyond those two basic tenets, each therapist is free to utilize their current clinical skills to conduct psychotherapy.
Sponsors
US Department of Veterans Affairs
The Catholic University of America
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 89 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Suicidality endorsed during the regular Mental Health intake interview or at the time of admission. 2. Over the age of 18 years. 3. New or returning patients to the VA MHC. 4. Living within the larger Denver metropolitan region during the duration of the treatment. 5. Willing to travel to the ECHCS Denver VAMC at times other than scheduled therapy appointments to complete follow-up assessment measures.
Exclusion criteria
1. Psychosis that would interfere with an individual's ability to provide informed consent. 2. Imminent suicidality with the need for immediate psychiatric hospitalization, as defined above in the Background section, at the time of MH intake. 3. Current involuntary status for psychiatric hospitalization. 4. Inability to adequately respond to questions regarding the informed consent procedure. See Special Consent Issues section below.
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed