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Researchers Lead Suicide Prevention Efforts
‘ The goal is to help patients build a life worth living .’ BY CASEY NILSSON AND CORRIE PIKUL
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States , with about one death reported every 11 minutes , according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Researchers at Brown are working together and with colleagues across the country to reduce that tragic rate .
Last year , three professors published a guide for clinicians and other experts about a cost- effective , evidence-based suicide prevention program that they implemented at Butler Hospital . The book , The Coping Long Term with Active Suicide Program ( CLASP ): A Multi-Modal Intervention for Suicide Prevention , is a roadmap to reduce suicidal behavior in high-risk patients before it ’ s too late .
“ In the two decades prior to the COVID-19 pandemic , there was a steady rise in the rate of suicide ,” says Lauren Weinstock , PhD , a professor of psychiatry and human behavior . Now with even more people seeking mental health care , there aren ’ t enough providers to meet the need . The goal of CLASP is to supplement available resources and treatments , Weinstock says .
She and fellow professors of psychiatry and human behavior Ivan W . Miller , PhD , and Brandon Gaudiano , PhD , developed CLASP together . According to Miller , the treatment program acts as a bridge between inpatient and outpatient care for patients admitted to hospitals after suicide attempts , consisting of in-person counseling sessions at the hospital , and then phone check-ins for several months thereafter .
CLASP also aims to instill hope in patients , by prompting them to describe their personal values and set future goals . “ The goal is to help patients build a life worth living , in addition to suicide prevention ,” Gaudiano says .
Weinstock is also a lead researcher on a National Institute of Mental Health grant to establish a multi-institution suicide prevention
8 HEALTH DISCOVERIES l WINTER 2023