A peer veteran approach to the caring letters suicide prevention program: Preliminary data.

Caring Letters is a prevention program aimed at reducing suicide risk; however, clinical trials indicate mixed results among military and veteran samples. The present study aimed to pilot a new version of the Caring Letters intervention that was adapted to military culture in order to emphasize peer support. The supportive letters, traditionally sent from clinicians, were written by peer veterans (PVs) who volunteered from local Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs). PVs (n = 15) attended a 4-hr workshop to learn about Caring Letters and write six letters to a veteran with a recent hospitalization for suicide risk (hospitalized veterans [HVs]; n = 15 completed a baseline assessment). Letters from PVs were sent to HVs once a month for 6 months following discharge from the psychiatric inpatient unit. The study used a limited efficacy approach to examine feasibility outcomes including implementation procedures, participant recruitment and retention rates, and barriers and facilitators. Acceptability measures examined HV satisfaction, perceived privacy and safety, and PV workshop satisfaction. Among HVs, results suggested that suicidal ideation improved from baseline to follow-up (g = 3.19). Results suggested resilience scores improved among HVs (g = 0.99). Results also suggested a possible reduction in stigma associated with mental health treatment among PVs at 1-month postworkshop assessment. Interpretation of the results is limited by the design and sample size, but the results provide preliminary support for the feasibility and acceptability of a PV approach to Caring Letters. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Peer-Written Caring Letters for Veterans after a Suicidal Crisis.

OBJECTIVE: In the evidence-based suicide prevention intervention, Caring Letters, healthcare providers send brief, caring messages to patients following psychiatric inpatient care, a time of elevated suicide risk. However, recent studies with military populations have found mixed results. An adaptation of Caring Letters employed a peer framework in which veterans from the community wrote brief caring messages to veterans discharging from psychiatric inpatient treatment after a suicidal crisis. METHODS: The present study utilized content analysis to assess 90 caring messages generated by 15 peer veterans recruited from veteran service organizations (e.g., American Legion). RESULTS: Three themes emerged: (1) Shared Military Service, (2) Care, and (3) Overcoming Adversity. Peer-generated content varied in how the coded themes were expressed in the messages. CONCLUSION: These veteran-to-veteran caring messages may bolster belongingness, social support, and destigmatize mental health struggles, and have the potential to augment existing Caring Letters effects and interventions.HIGHLIGHTSVeterans commonly wrote about shared military services, care, and adversities.Supportive messages from peers may be tied to social support.Our analyses support possible benefits for veterans receiving caring messages.