White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Who can join
18 and older, any sex, with Suicide Prevention. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.
Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov
Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.
Suicidal Ideation: The Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS)Primary· 3 months post-baseline
The Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS) ranges from 0-38. While there is no established BSS cutoff score to classify suicide risk, there is evidence that higher scores on the BSS correspond to more severe suicidal ideation and that a change of five points or more on the total BSS scores may be clinically relevant.
The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) is a 20-item self-report scale that assesses hopelessness over the past seven days. Patients report on feelings about the future, loss of motivation, and future expectations. Total scores range from 0 to 20, with higher scores suggesting more hopelessness. The BHS has good reliability and validity and is sensitive to change. There is some evidence that the BHS may be a measure of risk of suicide.
The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-15 (INQ-15) is a 15-item self-report scale that measures thwarted belongingness (9 items) and perceived burdensomeness (6 items). Each item is measured on a 7-point Likert scale, with higher scores suggesting lower perceived connectedness. The score range for the entire scale is 15-105, with the score range for perceived burdensomeness being 6-42.
The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-15 (INQ-15) is a 15-item self-report scale that measures thwarted belongingness (9 items) and perceived burdensomeness (6 items). Each item is measured on a 7-point Likert scale, with higher scores suggesting lower perceived connectedness. The score range for the entire scale is 15-105, with the score range for thwarted belongingness being 7-63.
Group
Value
95% CI
BESST
29.1
± 11.3
Control
32.3
± 15.72
Patient Engagement: General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES)Secondary· 3 months post-baseline
The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) is a valid scale of self-efficacy that is designed for the general population (12 years or older) and it has been tested in various countries. It is a 10-item psychometric scale that is designed to assess optimistic self-beliefs to cope with a variety of difficult demands in life. Total scores range from 10 to 40, with higher scores suggesting increased self-efficacy.
The Suicide-Related Coping Scale (SRCS) includes 17 questions related to a patient's perception of their ability to cope with suicidal thoughts. Each item is assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. The scale includes two subscales including an External Coping subscale and an Internal Coping Subscale. The score range for the entire scale is 0-68 with the External Coping being 0-28 and the Internal Coping being 0-28. Higher scores indicate increased perception of suicide-related coping.
The Suicide-Related Coping Scale (SRCS) includes 17 questions related to a patient's perception of their ability to cope with suicidal thoughts. Each item is assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. The scale includes two subscales including an External Coping subscale and an Internal Coping Subscale. The score range for the entire scale is 0-68 with the External Coping being 0-28 and the Internal Coping being 0-28. Higher scores indicate increased perception of suicide-related coping.
Group
Value
95% CI
BESST
25.2
± 4.39
Control
20.2
± 7.79
Number of Participants With Suicide AttemptsSecondary· 3 months post-baseline
Suicide attempts is measured using the seven-item subscale on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), a valid and reliable scale that asks patients to self-report on suicide attempts.
Group
Value
95% CI
BESST
0
Control
0
Number of Participants With Substance Use at 3 Months Post-baselineSecondary· 3 months post-baseline
The investigators will assess substance use at follow-up assessments using a timeline follow-back approach. This method is commonly used in research studies to assess substance use patterns. Numerical scores do not apply to this assessment.
Group
Value
95% CI
BESST
3
Control
5
Adverse events — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov
Time frame: Adverse event data were collected throughout the entirety of the study participant activities (approximately 3 months)..
Reporting threshold: 5%.
Adverse-event reports describe events observed during the trial — not all are caused by the drug.
The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to test an adapted suicide prevention program (the Building VA Engagement, Self-efficacy, and Social Support To Prevent Suicide or BESST) in rural Veterans discharged from community care mental health treatment settings. The main question it aims to answer is:
* Does BESST combined with standard care improve suicide-related outcomes among this population compared to standard care alone?
Participants will be assigned by change to a treatment group. Some will receive the BESST intervention combined with standard care, and some will receive standard care alone. All participants will be in this research study for up to three months.
Those receiving the BESST intervention will have:
* 1 one-hour brief educational session;
* Seven follow-up check-ins (\~30 minutes each)
All participants will have three assessment interviews where they will be asked about their mental health and treatment received outside of the VA.
The investigators will compare participants assigned to the BESST intervention combined with standard care vs participants assigned to standard care alone to see if the BESST intervention improves suicide-related outcomes.
Publications & conference data
1 peer-reviewed publication reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):
Publications: Europe PMC API search by NCT ID, retrieved 10 June 2026
Drug + disease cross-links: matched in real time against Drug Landscape's normalised drug + company + condition tables
Sponsor: as reported to ClinicalTrials.gov by White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Last refreshed: 5 September 2025
Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT06139887.