Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Replication Trial
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (BCBT), Present-Centered Therapy (PCT), Treatment as Usual (TAU).
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Suicide, Attempted, Suicidal Ideation. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
The overall goal for the proposed project is to test the effectiveness of BCBT for the prevention of suicide attempts in a sample of treatment-seeking U.S. military personnel and veterans. The standard null hypothesis will involve tests conducted comparing improvement following BCBT (treatment duration of 12 weeks) to Person-Centered Therapy (PCT). The primary outcome comparisons will include direct markers of suicidality (i.e. suicide, suicide attempts). Secondary outcomes will be suicide ideation and indicators of psychiatric distress (e.g., depression, hopelessness). We also aim to assess several hypothesized psychological and neurocognitive mediators of treatment effects (e.g., wish to live, attentional bias, emotion regulation). Participants will be followed for 2 years posttreatment by independent evaluators blind to treatment condition.
Detailed description
The number of suicides by military personnel and veterans has steadily increased during the past few decades and remains elevated. Previous research conducted with active duty Army personnel supports the superiority of BCBT and its components over treatment as usual for the reduction of suicide attempts. Additional research is needed to determine if these effects are generalizable to military personnel and veterans more broadly and to confirm hypothesized mechanisms of action. Reference to "active duty" refers to U.S. military service members that have been activated and deployed as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) in accordance with federal orders under Title 10 or 32, United States Code. Reference to "veteran" refers to any person who has served in the U.S. military at any time, regardless of Branch, Component, era, or discharge status.
Specific Aim 1:To replicate previous findings supporting the efficacy of BCBT for the prevention of suicide attempts among military personnel and veterans (regardless of Axis I or II diagnosis). The standard null hypothesis will involve tests conducted comparing improvement following BCBT to Present-Centered Therapy (PCT)
Specific Aim 2: To identify cognitive-affective mediators of BCBT's effects on risk for suicide attempt.
Interventions
- Behavioral Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (BCBT)
Participants in BCBT receive 12 outpatient individual psychotherapy sessions scheduled on a weekly or biweekly basis, with the first session lasting 90 minutes and subsequent sessions lasting 60 minutes. BCBT was is delivered in three sequential phases. In phase I (5 sessions), the therapist identifies patient-specific factors that contribute to and maintain suicidal behaviors, provides a cognitive-behavioral conceptualization, collaboratively develops a crisis response plan, and teaches basic e - Behavioral Present-Centered Therapy (PCT)
Participants in PCT will receive will include 12 outpatient individual psychotherapy sessions scheduled on a weekly or biweekly basis, with the first session lasting 90 minutes and subsequent sessions lasting 60 minutes. PCT consists of (1) psychoeducation about the typical symptoms and features associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors among military personnel; (2) normalization of symptoms; (3) experience of receipt of support and feedback from a licensed professional; and (4) positive i - Behavioral Treatment as Usual (TAU)
All participants will receive the following interventions or procedures, regardless of treatment assignment: * Suicide risk assessment using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale * VA's safety planning intervention, which include Military Crisis Line contact information and lethal means access reduction * Caring contacts and outreach * Psychotropic medication, group therapy, substance abuse counseling, and other mental health interventions provided routinely as a part of treatment as usual
Primary outcome measures
- Change in number of suicide attempts from baseline [Time frame: Assessed every 3 months through study completion (average of 2 years)]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Change in suicidal ideation scores from baseline [Time frame: Assessed once per week until completion of treatment (average of 12 weeks) and at every 3 months through study completion (average of 2 years)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Current or past service in the U.S. military
- 18 years of age or older
- Reporting current suicide ideation with intent to die and/or a suicide attempt within the past two weeks
- Ability to understand and speak the English language; and ability to complete the informed consent process.
Exclusion criteria
- Psychiatric or medical condition that precludes the ability to provide informed consent or participation in outpatient treatment (e.g., psychosis, mania, acute intoxication).
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
United States · 3 centers
- Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune — Jacksonville
- The Ohio State University — Columbus
- Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research — Charleston
Publications
- Bryan CJ, Rudd MD, Wertenberger E. Reasons for suicide attempts in a clinical sample of active duty soldiers. J Affect Disord. 2013 Jan 10;144(1-2):148-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.06.030. Epub 2012 Aug 1. PMID 22858207
- Bryan CJ, Rudd MD. Life stressors, emotional distress, and trauma-related thoughts occurring in the 24 h preceding active duty U.S. soldiers' suicide attempts. J Psychiatr Res. 2012 Jul;46(7):843-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.03.012. Epub 2012 Apr 1. PMID 22464944
- Rudd MD, Bryan CJ, Wertenberger EG, Peterson AL, Young-McCaughan S, Mintz J, Williams SR, Arne KA, Breitbach J, Delano K, Wilkinson E, Bruce TO. Brief cognitive-behavioral therapy effects on post-treatment suicide attempts in a military sample: results of a randomized clinical trial with 2-year follow-up. Am J Psychiatry. 2015 May;172(5):441-9. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14070843. Epub 2015 Feb 13 PMID 25677353
- Bryan CJ, Mintz J, Clemans TA, Leeson B, Burch TS, Williams SR, Maney E, Rudd MD. Effect of crisis response planning vs. contracts for safety on suicide risk in U.S. Army Soldiers: A randomized clinical trial. J Affect Disord. 2017 Apr 1;212:64-72. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.01.028. Epub 2017 Jan 23. PMID 28142085
- Bryan CJ, Khazem LR, Baker JC, Brown LA, Taylor DJ, Pruiksma KE, Acierno R, Larick JG, Baucom BRW, Garland EL, Rudd MD. Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicidal Military Personnel and Veterans: The Military Suicide Prevention Intervention Research (MSPIRE) Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2025 Dec 1;82(12):1169-1176. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.2850. PMID 41060644
Identifiers
NCT: NCT03769259 · NMCCL.2018.0009 · W81XWH1820022