# Facilitating use of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in Alcohol Patients

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $681,817

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) are at significantly elevated risk for fatal and non-fatal suicide
attempts. This is seen in higher rates of suicide mortality in those diagnosed with an AUD as well as the high
rates of prior suicidal behaviors and/or current suicidal ideation among of patients treated for AUDs. This
elevated risk persists following AUD treatment. In addition, those with AUDs are prone to impulsive suicide
attempts, those attempts that occur with less than 30 minutes planning, and can lead to rapid escalation in risk,
particularly when under the influence of alcohol. New and effective strategies are needed to reduce suicide risk
among those with AUDs and should be tailored to the unique risks in those with AUDs. The National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline (NSP Lifeline) was established by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) to increase consistency in delivery of services. SAMHSA also implemented follow
up procedures with treatment referrals for NSP Lifeline callers. Since its inception, the NSP Lifeline has
received > 5 million calls. However, no data are currently available on whether use of the NSP Lifeline reduces
an individual's likelihood of a suicide attempt or death and it is not feasible to test the efficacy of the Crisis Line
in a randomized controlled trial because it is already nationally available. Additionally, the NSP Lifeline may not
reach those individuals at most acute risk for suicide. Consequently, we developed and gathered pilot data on
a brief intervention designed to increase utilization of crisis lines among high risk patients, called Crisis Line
Facilitation (CLF). This single-session intervention involves a discussion of the patient's perceived barriers and
facilitators of crisis line use during periods of suicidal crisis. The CLF session ends with the patient calling the
NSP Lifeline with the therapist in the room as a way for them to practice the logistics of making the call and to
have direct experiences that may counter any negative beliefs about crisis line use. The proposed study will
recruit 500 participants who are currently receiving residential AUD treatment and have made a prior suicide
attempt. This study will be a randomized controlled trial of the impact of CLF compared to enhanced usual care
(EUC) on utilization of the NSP Lifeline as well as suicide attempt(s). All participants will be re-assessed at
post-intervention, 4-, 8- and 12-months post baseline. Analyses will also examine the extent to which lifetime
changes in the proposed mechanisms of action of CLF explain the effects of CLF on calls to the NSP Lifeline
and suicide attempts as we as whether post-baseline NSP Lifeline use mediates the effect or random
assignment to CLF on subsequent suicidal behaviors. If successful, the proposed study will provide key data
on the potential efficacy of a brief tool to improve the utilization of an existing resource, the NSP Lifeline, to
reduce su...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9969288
- **Project number:** 5R01AA027513-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** MARK A. ILGEN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $681,817
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9969288

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9969288, Facilitating use of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in Alcohol Patients (5R01AA027513-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9969288. Licensed CC0.

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