A phone call after the ER: testing a suicide prevention lifeline
NCT ID NCT05307432
First seen Jul 28, 2026 · Last updated Jul 29, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a safety planning intervention plus follow-up phone calls, delivered either by emergency department staff or via a telehealth referral center, can reduce suicide attempts and deaths in adults who come to the ER with suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Over 2,800 participants across multiple sites will be followed to see if the program improves engagement with mental health care and lowers suicide-related events. The goal is to find a practical, scalable way to support people at risk after they leave the hospital.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Safety Planning Intervention plus follow-up phone calls (SPI+) delivered by ED staff or via telehealth referral
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this approach could provide a scalable, telehealth-based suicide prevention strategy that reaches more at-risk patients after they leave the emergency department.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is large but relies on real-world implementation, so results may vary across sites. The intervention may not reduce suicide attempts or deaths if follow-up engagement is low.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Pennsylvania Health System
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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