Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Intervention for Youth Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Pediatric Primary Care Providers

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth, and rates continue to increase across the United States. Pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) are uniquely positioned to identify acute periods of increased suicidal ideation and provide timely intervention. Objective: The present study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of training and implementation of a primary care-adapted version of Safe Alternatives for Teens and Youth-Acute (SAFETY-A), a brief, strengths-based, cognitive-behaviorally oriented, family intervention for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in youth, among pediatric PCPs. Method: This multisite pilot study involved collaboration between eight Texas-based academic institutions who assisted with the recruitment and training of 68 PCPs. PCPs attended five SAFETY-A training sessions and completed self-report surveys for 6 months post-training. Results: Prior to SAFETY-A training, PCPs indicated a significant training gap, with 83% indicating that they had not received sufficient prior training in suicide risk assessment and risk reduction/intervention. PCPs found SAFETY-A training acceptable, reporting significant improvements in knowledge, skills, and confidence. PCPs also found SAFETY-A implementation feasible, using the intervention a total of 288 times over the course of 6 months (M uses per PCP = 6.9). However, PCPs found the SAFETY-A training schedule less feasible, with many PCPs unable to attend all five training sessions. Conclusions: Findings suggest that a tiered training structure allowing for more flexibility in training commitment might be more feasible for busy PCPs seeking training in SAFETY-A. Ongoing efforts to feasibly scale-up SAFETY-A training efforts across Texas incorporate these findings with the goal of making SAFETY-A training available to all PCPs across the state.