# Opportunities for suicide prevention integration into task-shifted mental health interventions in low-resourced contexts

> **NIH NIH K01** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $178,092

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Suicide is a leading contributor to global mortality and rates have remained steady, or increased, in low-
resourced settings. Motherhood is both a protective and risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In the
perinatal period, women have increased risk for suicidal ideation and experience higher rates of violence and
violent death. Given rising suicide rates, the importance of the perinatal period for both mother and child, and
growing dissemination of task-shifting programs to treat common mental disorders, there is critical and urgent
need to incorporate implementation strategies for suicide detection and referral within these programs. While
task-shifted mental health interventions have trained peer community members to successfully deliver low
intensity interventions where access to clinical care is limited, peers remain an untapped resource to provide
suicide prevention support in settings where it is needed most. The goal of this award is to broaden the
candidate’s expertise to conduct independent clinical trials related to suicide prevention research focused on
the integration of community-delivered detection and response in low-resourced, high need, settings. Through
structured mentorship from an expert team, coursework, workshop, and conference attendance, the candidate
will develop new competencies in suicide prevention research, including: (1) quantitative training in longitudinal
analysis for rare events (2) implementation science methods and research design to apply to suicide
prevention interventions; and (3) clinical trial management skills, including ethical conduct of suicide prevention
research in resource strained contexts, to become a NIH-funded independent investigator. Drs. Donna
Spiegelman, Joanna Maselko, Atif Rahman, Paul Pfeiffer, and Byron Powell (alongside a Pakistani advisory
committee) will mentor and advise the candidate to meet these objectives. The proposed research will
(1) examine the epidemiology and health impacts of recurrent suicidal ideation on mothers over time, (2)
characterize key features of suicidal ideation and finalize intervention package components for the study
context, and (3) conduct a pilot clinical trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a Suicide
Prevention Package (SuPP) within an existing task-shifted depression intervention. This K01 lays the
groundwork for a future R01 to scale a package for multi-level suicide prevention strategies that can be
integrated into community based mental health programs, particularly targeting individuals living in low-
resourced settings. As the model is designed to be easily adapted and integrated, we anticipate the findings
will be valuable for all researchers looking to improve population health and mental health services in
disadvantaged settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10453745
- **Project number:** 5K01MH125142-02
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ashley K Hagaman
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $178,092
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-19 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10453745

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10453745, Opportunities for suicide prevention integration into task-shifted mental health interventions in low-resourced contexts (5K01MH125142-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10453745. Licensed CC0.

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