Young people at clinical high risk for psychosis experience elevated rates of suicide thoughts and behaviors, yet there are few suicide prevention interventions designed specifically for this population. This study will develop and evaluate a recovery-oriented suicide prevention group intervention that integrates peer support with clinician-led care and is designed for implementation within early psychosis services.
This hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation study will be conducted over approximately three years at two early psychosis programs. During the first phase, the intervention will be refined through input from young people with lived experience, caregivers, clinicians, and community advisors, followed by an open trial to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, and any additional adaptations needed before broader evaluation.
The second phase will consist of a pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the intervention plus standard care with standard care alone. The study will examine preliminary effects on personal recovery and participants' ability to remember and use suicide prevention strategies.
The final phase will evaluate factors that may influence future implementation of the intervention in routine early psychosis services. Interviews with participants and program staff will be used to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation and to inform resources that support future adoption and sustainability if the intervention proves promising.
