Recruiting

Qnnections

Sponsor:

VA Office of Research and Development

Code:

NCT06803329

Conditions

Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors

Social Isolation

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Qnnections

Enhanced Usual Care

Study Details

Brief summary:

Despite the high risk of suicide among LGBTQ+ Veterans, there is currently no suicide-focused intervention for this population. This study will refine and pilot Qnnections, a novel group-based suicide prevention intervention that aims to increase social connection and functioning in this population. The project will involve Veterans with lived experience in further refining Qnnections, and then will examine feasibility and acceptability of Qnnections and of study procedures in a pilot randomized clinical trial.

Conditions

Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors

Social Isolation

Study ID

NCT06803329

Start date

Mar 1, 2026

Status verified date

Sep, 2026

Completion date

Sep 30, 2030

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep 30, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Veterans who report past-month active suicidal ideation (C-SSRS \[Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale\]

\-- or past-3-month suicidal behavior;
  • LGBTQ+ or other minoritized gender or sexual identity;
  • Have a mental health point-of-contact (e.g., Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Mental Health Treatment Coordinator);
  • Willing to complete or update safety plan.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • cannot provide informed consent;
  • imminent psychiatric hospitalization;
  • current or planned participation in residential/intensive outpatient program that would interfere study participation;
  • in a conservatorship; and
  • has participated in any previous parts of the study.

Study Design

Enrollment

66 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Other

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Qnnections

A novel group-based suicide prevention intervention that augments standard VA mental health services for LGBTQ+ Veterans with current suicidal thoughts or recent suicidal behavior. Veterans will also receive safety planning and referrals.

active comparator: Enhanced Usual Care

The active control condition includes: 1) VA Safety Planning Intervention and 2) referrals to VA and non-VA services relevant to the individual.

Interventions

Qnnections

A novel group-based suicide prevention intervention that augments standard VA mental health services for LGBTQ+ Veterans with current suicidal thoughts or recent suicidal behavior. Informed by the empirically-supported theoretical framework of the interpersonal theory of suicide and prior work tailoring interventions for minority stress, Qnnections is a structured 10-week group that uses a cognitive behavioral framework to target perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Veterans will also receive safety planning and referrals.

Enhanced Usual Care

The active control condition includes: 1) VA Safety Planning Intervention and 2) referrals to VA and non-VA services relevant to the individual. The safety plan will be conducted by Dr. Chang, a licensed psychologist. Therefore, EUC only differs from the Qnnections condition as it does not have the 10-session Qnnections intervention. EUC is intended to include elements of VA suicide prevention standard practice. The control condition is considered enhanced as all participants will receive these elements, whereas Veterans are not guaranteed to receive all of these services if not enrolled in this study.

Primary outcome measure

  • Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) [ Time Frame: 10-20 weeks ]
  • Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM) [ Time Frame: 10-20 weeks ]
  • Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) [ Time Frame: 10-20 weeks ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Cindy Chang, PsyD

(786) 853-8782Cindy.Chang4@va.gov

Colin A Depp, PhD

(858) 822-4251Colin.Depp@va.gov

Locations

VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA

Recruiting

San Diego, California, United States, 92161-0002

Contacts

Cindy Chang, PsyD

786-853-8782Cindy.Chang4@va.gov

Colin A Depp, PhD

(858) 822-4251Colin.Depp@va.gov

Principal Investigator:

Cindy Chang, PsyD

More Information

Sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development

Last update posted

Sep 4, 2026

Last verified

Sep, 2026

Keywords

  • Suicide
  • Social isolation

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by VA Office of Research and Development on 2026-09-04.