Recruiting

FIRST Program

Sponsor:

Unity Health Toronto

Code:

NCT07902089

Conditions

Caregiver

Caregiver Mental Health

Caregiver Stress

Suicide

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 19+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

FIRST Program

Study Details

Brief summary:

The Friends/Family of Individuals at Risk of Suicide Training (FIRST) program is a six-week program designed to provide knowledge and practical skills to help caregivers care for their loved one while also supporting their own mental health and wellbeing during highly stressful situations. Throughout the program, participants will develop skills to better communicate with their loved one, manage emotions, navigate the health-care system, practice self-care in moments where it feels impossible, and set healthy personal boundaries. FIRST consists of six weekly 90-minute group sessions delivered either online via videoconference or in-person in Toronto, Ontario. Each session is facilitated by a clinician and a peer facilitator with lived experience.

Conditions

Caregiver

Caregiver Mental Health

Caregiver Stress

Suicide

Study ID

NCT07902089

Start date

Sep 30, 2026

Status verified date

Oct, 2026

Completion date

Mar 31, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Aug 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 19+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Aged 19 years or older
2. In-person (Toronto) and Virtual (Toronto) group: live in the Greater Toronto Area
3. Virtual (National) group: live in Canada
4. Able to communicate in English
5. Self-identify as FF-STB
6. For participants completing the study virtually: Access to a computer, tablet, or mobile phone with a camera and Internet access

Exclusion Criteria: impairment that would limit understanding of the FIRST Program (e.g., under the influence of substances or alcohol during FIRST sessions, cognitive impairment, active psychosis).

Study Design

Enrollment

72 participants

Anticipated

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

FIRST Program

All participants will undergo the FIRST program

Interventions

FIRST Program

FIRST is a 6-week program co-facilitated by one peer facilitator with lived experience and one mental health professional. Each session will be approximately 90 minutes in length with \~12 caregiver participants per group.

Primary outcome measure

  • Feasibility of running the FIRST program in different settings/groups across Canada. [ Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the study period at 10 weeks. ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Elise Jackson

416-360-4000elise.jackson@unityhealth.to

Sakina Rizvi

Sakina.Rizvi@unityhealth.to

Locations

Unity Health Toronto

Recruiting

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 1W8

Contacts

Elise Jackson

416-360-4000Elise.Jackson@unityhealth.to

More Information

Sponsor

Unity Health Toronto

Last update posted

Oct 28, 2026

Last verified

Oct, 2026

Keywords

  • suicide caregiver
  • loved one suicide
  • mental health caregiver

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-10-29. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Unity Health Toronto on 2026-10-28. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.