NCT05296538

The Mental Imagery for Suicidality in Students Trial (MISST)

The Mental Imagery for Suicidality in Students Trial (MISST): A Feasibility Study.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 65 (actual)
• Sponsor: Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

In the UK, suicide is the leading cause of death in young people and have increased in recent years. Areas in the North of England appear particularly at risk. University students represent one vulnerable group. 42% of students contemplate suicide in any one-year period. Suicidal thinking is an important indicator of distress and clinical need, which predicts subsequent suicidal experiences and worse mental health. It is therefore an important target for clinical treatment and early intervention. However, evidenced based interventions for targeting suicidal thinking in students are lacking. This project will evaluate the feasibility of a novel psychological intervention, called the Broad Minded Affective Coping (BMAC) intervention. The BMAC aims to increase peoples' access to positive thoughts and emotions to help them to break out of cycles of negative mood and suicidal thinking. It is targeted, protocolised, and deliverable by a range of professional groups. Our existing co-development work with young people has suggested that it is acceptable and helpful to University students. This randomised controlled feasibility trial of the BMAC intervention for suicidal thinking in university students. Participants will be randomised to either a risk assessment and signposting plus the BMAC (n = 33), or risk assessment and signposting alone (n = 33). The study will assess outcomes at baseline and after eight weeks, 16 weeks, and 24 weeks. The study will explore the safety, feasibility and acceptability of delivering the intervention and trial procedures. Embedded qualitative interviews with staff and participants, and field notes, will help us to understand the potential factors affecting acceptability and delivery of the BMAC intervention and conduct of the trial, and the proposed underlying mechanisms of change. The project will be a crucial step in evaluating the BMAC for suicidal students, paving the way for a larger trial of clinical effectiveness.

Conditions

• Suicide, Attempted
• Suicidal Ideation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Broad-Minded Affective Coping Intervention	The Broad-Minded Affective Coping (BMAC) is a six session intervention that uses mental imagery and rehearsal of memories of past positive experiences to generate positive emotions in the moment. A further follow-up session is provided in the eight weeks following the end of treatment.
OTHER	Risk Assessment and Signposting	A therapist will meet with participants over two 50 minute sessions to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment, and develop a collaborative plan with the participant around managing any risk, including identification of sources of support and signposting.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-02-21
• Primary completion: 2023-10-24
• Completion: 2023-10-24
• First posted: 2022-03-25
• Last updated: 2024-03-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom