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Symposia

Oppression and Resilience Minority Health

Session: Disability as an Identity: Mental Health and Wellbeing Correlates and Implications for Future Research

4 - (SYM 53) Applying CBT to Target Cognitive Drivers of Suicide Risk in People with Disabilities: Findings from an Ongoing Pilot Trial

Saturday, November 18, 2023
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM PST
Location: Clearwater (702), Level 7

The disability community experiences a heighted prevalence of suicide-related outcomes; however, limited research has sought to identify the underlying mechanisms of suicide risk in this population. Results of recent research consistently indicate that internalized cognitive states, perceived burdensomeness, low disability-related body esteem, and felt-stigma, contribute to the development and maintenance of suicidal ideation. However, disability-affirmative cognitive-behavioral therapies may effectively target these beliefs.  

 

Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention (BCBT) is an efficacious, 12-session, three-phase treatment that focuses on increasing emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, and problem-solving skills in order to reduce suicide ideation. In this pilot trial of BCBT, 60 adults with vison, hearing, or mobility disabilities and current suicidal ideation/past-month suicide attempt are administered the disability-affirming BCBT protocol through telehealth and complete self-report questionnaires throughout treatment to provide feedback for iterative refinement of the intervention and for measuring study outcomes.  

 
A series of hierarchical mixed models will be conducted to examine whether suicidal ideation and disability-related cognitions associated with increased suicide risk significantly decrease throughout treatment. Preliminary data from 13 participants showed a large, significant decrease in Scale for Suicide Ideation scores ( p< .01, d=1.06) and perceived burdensomeness (p=.04; d=.63) and a trend toward significantly reducing suicide-related cognitions (p=.22; d=.63). While updated statistics and interpretations will be presented, current findings indicate promise for a disability-affirming, telehealth-administered iteration of BCBT in reducing suicidal ideation and related cognitions for people with physical and sensory disabilities at heightened risk of suicide.