Conducting suicide research in naturalistic clinical settings

Abstract

Unique challenges arise for clinical researchers designing studies focused on suicidal behaviors due to the inherently high-risk nature of such research. Traditional approaches to clinical trial design are briefly discussed, highlighting the limitations and obstacles of these approaches when working with suicidal individuals. Using their own personal experiences and setbacks from an ongoing clinical suicidology research program, the authors argue for greater emphasis on effectiveness and translational research designs conducted in naturalistic clinical settings to test the practical utility of empirically-supported treatments for suicidal behaviors, to gain new perspectives on suicidal individuals, and to better understand the nature of suicidal risk.

Signs of current suicidality in men: A systematic review

“…Initially the ROB ratings produced by the EPHPP prioritised research conducted using randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, the requirement for RCTs can be unethical in suicide research [29]. Consequently, research articles that used alternative designs to RCTs were not downgraded and articles were deemed to have an acceptable ROB rating if the design was described in a rigorous, replicable way that matched the research questions and hypotheses, and clearly reported the reliability and validity of measures and analysis strategy.…”

The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS): An Evolving Evidence‐Based Clinical Approach to Suicidal Risk

“…While there were fits and starts in our initial efforts to clinically roll‐out CAMS and conduct clinical research in “real world” treatment environments (refer to Jobes, Bryan, & Neal‐Walden, 2009), our clinical research of CAMS ultimately evolved and matured. The effectiveness‐oriented research of CAMS to date has thus helped to meaningfully evolve CAMS as an intervention as we have learned what works and what does not work (Jobes, Comtois, Brenner, & Gutierrez, 2011).…”

When Research Meets Reality–-Lessons Learned from a Pragmatic Multisite Group-Randomized Clinical Trial on Psychosocial Interventions in the Psychiatric and Addiction Field

“…One reinforcement strategy could be to give the co-workers at the centers a role that fulfills the Vancouver requirements for co-authorship. 36 In our study the control group centers were promised ownership of all data from their own center along with treatment manuals and teaching in the experimental intervention after the study.…”