Clinical Research Directory

Pilot Study on Follow-Up of (Acutely) Suicidal Individuals From the Flemish Suicide Helpline

This pilot study aims to assess the acceptance, feasibility, and added value of follow-up calls at the suicide helpline, Zelfmoordlijn 1813, in Flanders (Belgium). It serves as a crucial preparatory step in the development and implementation process of the callback methodology at Zelfmoordlijn 1813.

Reducing Crises and Suicide Within the Idaho Army National Guard

Military suicide is an ongoing public health concern, particularly within the Army National Guard (ARNG), with longstanding effects on fellow soldiers, family, and friends. The straddling of military and civilian worlds for ARNG can worsen risk factors for suicide, including increased social isolation, disruption to family life, and employment difficulties. One promising framework that addresses both unit cohesion and social support is the First Line Leaders (FLL) program, recently designated by ARNG for nation-wide dissemination. The program is centered on enhancing the relationship between junior enlisted soldiers (JES) and their assigned non-commissioned officer (NCO). The Investigators propose to study an augmented FLL program that includes templated guides developed in collaboration with Idaho ARNG stakeholders. The guides, referred to as TAP (Total Health Action Plan), were adapted from two empirically based interventions, Crisis Response Planning and Problem-Solving Therapy, and consist of prompts for open communication and effective engagement and guidelines for responding to impending or current behavioral distress. Given their elevated suicide risk, the Idaho ARNG is a crucial setting to develop this upstream intervention. In this study, the Investigators propose to compare the augmented FLL + TAP program to FLL only, and training as usual (n= 50 NCOs and 100 JES per group) with quarterly assessments for up to one year. The Investigators will examine a random selection of deidentified counseling templates to examine the type and frequency of counseling sessions involving acute crisis and behavioral health difficulties, and online ratings from a random selection of JES using validated instruments to assess upstream indicators of behavioral distress and suicide risk and resilience. The Investigators will also conduct qualitative interviews with a random selection of 20% of the NCOs (n = 30) and JES (n = 60) enrolled in the project to provide personalized perspectives of program experiences. The Investigators propose three aims to guide this research. (1) Collaborate with Idaho ARNG stakeholders to integrate TAP into FLL programming via: a) development and refinement of TAP training materials, b) building templated counseling statements that align with FLL and TAP, and c) education of Idaho ARNG training cadre in the delivery of TAP. (2) Evaluate fidelity, feasibility, and acceptability of FLL and FLL + TAP through a mixed methods approach of qualitative interviews with FLLs and JESs and evaluation of data from templated counseling sessions. (3) Examine the impact of FLL+TAP versus FLL versus training as usual on unit morale, cohesion, and general functioning.

The Impact of Crisis Management Training on Disaster Nursing Competencies

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of crisis management training designed for third-year nursing students. Crisis management in the healthcare sector holds critical importance during unforeseen events such as natural disasters and emergencies. The ability of nurses to effectively plan, make quick decisions, and manage crises successfully plays a vital role in ensuring patient safety and operational efficiency. The primary objective of this research is to enhance nursing students' crisis management skills and to assess the extent to which these skills can be improved through targeted training. The study employs a pre-test and post-test design. The participants will consist of third-year nursing students. A pre-test will be administered before the training to assess the participants' existing knowledge and skills in crisis management. The training content will focus on crisis management concepts, planning strategies, rapid decision-making processes, and team coordination. Additionally, intervention approaches to natural disasters such as earthquakes will be addressed in detail. At the conclusion of the training, a post-test will be conducted to evaluate the program's effectiveness. The data collection process will utilize the Disaster Nursing Preparedness and Response Competency Scale, a standardized tool designed to measure students' levels of preparedness, problem-solving skills during crises, and intervention effectiveness. The training program will adopt an interactive approach, integrating both theoretical and practical components. The study hypothesizes that crisis management training will significantly enhance the disaster nursing competencies of nursing students. The findings aim to reveal whether the training leads to a substantial improvement in the knowledge and skill levels of the participants. The study is scheduled to be conducted at a private university in Istanbul in March 2025. The study population comprises all third-year nursing students enrolled in the nursing program at the university during the study period (N=70). No sampling method will be used, as the study aims to include the entire population. The training program will consist of a single session and will incorporate feedback from students and motivation-enhancing activities. Slavin's Effective Teaching Model will be employed, featuring presentations and interactive sessions. Data will be collected using a Personal Information Form and the Disaster Nursing Preparedness and Response Competency Scale. The collected data will be analyzed using SPSS for Windows 22.0. The normality of data distribution will be assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test. If the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test indicates p\>0.05p \> 0.05p\>0.05, the data will be considered normally distributed. Conversely, if p\<0.05p \< 0.05p\<0.05, the data will be deemed non-normally distributed, and skewness and kurtosis values will be examined. Changes in repeated measurements will be analyzed using a Repeated Measures ANOVA if the data is normally distributed, or the Friedman Test if it is not. Descriptive statistics will be employed to summarize the general characteristics of the data, including the means and distributions of pre-test and post-test scores. To evaluate the impact of the training program, a Paired Samples T-Test will be conducted to assess the differences between pre-test and post-test scores within the same group. This analysis will measure the program's effects on time management and procrastination behaviors. Additionally, effect sizes (e.g., Cohen's d) will be calculated to evaluate the magnitude and significance of the intervention's effects. Variance analysis (ANOVA) may also be used to determine significant differences between groups if deemed necessary. Furthermore, a Power Analysis will be conducted to assess whether the study has an adequate sample size. These analyses will provide meaningful and reliable interpretations of the study findings.