Brief Skills for Safer Living (Brief-SfSL)
Investigating the Efficacy of a Novel Therapy for Suicide Risk in Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intensive Single Session of "Brief Skills for Safer Living"
Unity Health Toronto
150 participants
Nov 17, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The goal of this project is to assess the efficacy of Brief-Skills for Safer Living (Brief-SfSL) in a randomized control trial. The investigators will be testing 150 participants Canada-wide, half of which will be randomized to receive Brief-SfSL (B-TAU) and the other half will be randomized to receive Brief-SfSL after a 3 month waitlist (WL-TAU). The main questions this study seeks to answer are: * Is B-TAU more efficacious than WL-TAU for reducing suicidal thoughts at 3 months? * Is B-TAU more efficacious than WL-TAU at 3 months for reducing depression severity, anxiety, and anhedonia? * Is B-TAU more efficacious than WL-TAU at 3 months for improving social connectedness, emotional regulation, functioning (work, life, social), executive control and social problem-solving? * Are adverse events equivalent between B-TAU and WL-TAU at 3 months?
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria8
- Suicidal ideation in the past week
- Access to a computer or phone with a camera
- Access to internet
- Access to an emergency contact and hospital within commuting distance
- Not receiving other psychotherapy/counselling services concurrently
- Willing to have the session recorded to determine therapy fidelity
- Any psychiatric diagnosis is allowed
- Follow-up visits with a psychiatrist and/or family doctor where a psychotherapeutic modality (e.g., Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, psychodynamic therapy, etc.) is not being used are allowable
Exclusion Criteria6
- Inability to undergo psychotherapy in English
- Presence of cognitive impairment that would limit consent and understanding of Brief Skills for Safer Living
- Active psychosis
- Unwilling or unable to provide informed consent
- Previously enrolled in the Brief-SfSL pilot study
- Unwilling or unable to communicate verbally
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Interventions
Brief-SfSL is a single 90-minute intervention that that: 1. helps clients understand their suicide narrative, which explores the origin and meaning of their suicidal thoughts 2. builds specific skills to keep oneself safe from suicide even if suicidal thoughts are present 3. includes enhanced safety planning by identifying the barriers to enacting a safety plan and solutions to overcome them
Locations(1)
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NCT06571916