Acceptance-based parent training intervention for youths with co-occurring psychotic symptoms and suicidal behaviors: A case series from an open trial

Youths with psychosis have the highest suicide risk yet have few effective interventions for suicide prevention and symptom management that address the family context. Adolescents Coping with Co-occurring Early Psychosis Treatment (ACCEPT) is a time-limited, adjunctive intervention designed to support parents of adolescents with psychotic symptoms and suicidal behaviors. ACCEPT targets family processes implicated in youth suicide risk and psychosis relapse by (1) providing psychoeducation about psychosis, suicide risk, and safety planning; (2) enhancing parent’s and child’s use of acceptance-based strategies to reduce distress; and (3) improving positive emotional communication in the family. We examined the feasibility and acceptability of the ACCEPT intervention with nine participants and illustrated the intervention with a case series.