This project aims to test the effectiveness of a primary suicide prevention intervention on suicide awareness, knowledge of suicide and local resources, suicidal thoughts, psychological distress, and safety. This study is an open-label, multi-centre, superiority, cluster-randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms (randomization 1:1 in at least 8 study sites) of a primary suicide prevention intervention based on psychoeducation versus an art-based control intervention. Four groups of youth aged 14–25 with high suicide risk will be recruited (in total, n = 240), including those detained in juvenile detention centres, disconnected from school, in treatment for psychiatric disorders, belonging to a sexual or gender diversity, affected by chronic conditions, and with relational/familial problems. Participants will be randomly assigned to the suicide prevention or control intervention. The primary outcome is suicide awareness measured on a validated scale. Secondary outcomes include knowledge of suicide, knowledge of local resources, suicidal behaviour, psychological distress, access to primary suicide prevention, and safety. Measures will be collected at baseline, at 1-week, and 3-month follow-ups. Analyses will be conducted as intention-to-treat using mixed-effects models. Discussion : We expect that a brief primary suicide prevention intervention (psychoeducation) will be effective and safe in vulnerable adolescents.
Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06551038. Registered on August 13, 2024.
