Brief Alcohol Intervention for Adolescents Who Have Attempted Suicide

A two group randomized controlled trial will be used to compare the brief MI intervention to
TAU with 50 adolescents psychiatrically hospitalized for a suicide plan or attempt who have
co-occurring alcohol use. Adolescents admitted to the unit for a suicide plan or attempt will
be screened by PI O'Brien or Co-I White within 24 hours of their admission to determine if
they meet criteria for alcohol use in past month by selecting 1-6 on Question #1 of the
Adolescent Drinking Questionnaire (ADQ). Then Co-I White (or PI O'Brien in the event Co-I
White is unavailable) will administer the Drug Use Questionnaire (DUQ), Timeline Follow-back
Interview (TLFB), Brief Situational Confidence Questionnaire (BSCQ), Comprehensive Effects of
Alcohol (CEOA), Opinions About Alcohol Use (OAAU), Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ),
Inventory of Motivations for Suicide Attempts (IMSA), and a subset of questions from the
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Once assessment measures are completed,
participants will be randomized to either the experimental condition or TAU. Randomization
will be accomplished by using an urn randomization procedure used to retain random allocation
while balancing relative probabilities of assignment to treatment groups. Urn randomization
in contrast to simple or block randomization is dynamic; the probability of treatment
assignment changes dependent on the degree of treatment imbalance throughout the course of
the trial. We will randomize by 1) ADQ score (i.e., adolescents scoring <4 which indicates
drinking at least 2-3 times per week) and 2) gender. The adolescent will receive the
individual MI intervention in a private room on the inpatient psychiatric unit; the family
intervention will be delivered in a private room on the unit, ideally the next day. After the
intervention the adolescent will complete the exit interview and Session Evaluation Form
(SEF) to assess acceptability. Once a discharge date is made for the participant, PI O'Brien
or Co-I White will schedule a 3 month follow-up appointments with the adolescent and
guardian; the ADQ, DUQ, TLFB, BSCQ, CEOA, SIQ, IMSA, and C-SSRS will be readministered at the
follow-up assessment in a private room in the visitors' area of the inpatient psychiatric
unit by RA Wigglesworth, so that the clinician conducting the assessment is blind to
condition.

Inclusion Criteria:

- current hospitalization for suicide plan or attempt,

- alcohol use in past month, indicated by selecting 1-6 on Question #1 of the Adolescent
Drinking Questionnaire (ADQ) which is currently given to all patients to fill out upon
admission to the inpatient psychiatric unit,

- age 13-17, and 4) ability to communicate in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

- developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, or psychosis, per chart review.