# An Evaluation of the National Zero Suicide Model Across Learning Healthcare Systems

> **NIH NIH U01** · HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM · 2020 · $885,751

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Suicide is a major public health concern – it is the 10th leading cause of death and number one cause of injury
related death in the United States (US). Due to national concern about this problem, the National Action
Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the US Surgeon General published the joint 2012 National Strategy for
Suicide Prevention (NSSP). The NSSP outlines a series of Aspirational Goals (AG) with the specific objective
to reduce the national suicide rate by 20%. AG 8 and 9 promote healthcare settings as primary targets for
suicide prevention. Consistent with this message, Henry Ford Health System's (HFHS) Perfect Depression
Care (PDC) Zero Suicide Initiative was the first US program linked with a substantial decrease in the suicide
rate among behavioral health patients after implementation. These findings have motivated national promotion
of this model for suicide prevention in health systems. As such, the National ZS Model (NZSM) was developed,
based on the HFHS PDC program, but with flexibility to allow adaptation to diverse settings and patient
populations. Overall, the NZSM is founded on the realization that suicidal individuals often fall through multiple
cracks in a fragmented and sometimes distracted healthcare system, and on the premise that a systematic,
comprehensive approach to care is necessary for suicide prevention. The comprehensive approach of the
NZSM includes implementation of a series of clinical and quality strategies within the following components: 1)
Identification of those at-risk, 2) Engagement and care management; 3) Effective treatment, and 4) Care
transition. Despite being a model program promoted internationally for healthcare system quality improvement
in suicide prevention, the NZSM has very limited evidence outside of the findings from the HFHS PDC
program. The proposed study seeks to conduct a comprehensive process and outcome evaluation of NZSM
implementation in real-world clinical settings across 6 large, diverse Mental Health Research Network affiliated
Learning Healthcare Systems providing healthcare for over 9 million individuals each year. The project aims
are to:1) Collaborate with health system leaders to develop EHR metrics to measure specific quality
improvement targets and care processes tailored to local NZSM implementation, 2) Examine the fidelity of the
specific NZSM care processes implemented in each system, and 3) Investigate suicide attempt and mortality
outcomes within and across NZSM system models. Study data are captured using electronic health records
and insurance claims. Given strong national support for NZSM, if it is found to be effective to reduce suicide
behavior, this model will have nationwide implications for suicide prevention in healthcare settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9940882
- **Project number:** 5U01MH114087-04
- **Recipient organization:** HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Brian Kenneth Ahmedani
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $885,751
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-03 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9940882

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9940882, An Evaluation of the National Zero Suicide Model Across Learning Healthcare Systems (5U01MH114087-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9940882. Licensed CC0.

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