An open trial of a suicide safety planning group treatment: “Project Life Force”

In 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs mandated that clinicians oversee the construction of a Suicide Safety Plan for every patient who is identified as “high risk” for suicide. While the Suicide Safety Plan is a mandated “best practice,” there are currently no recommended guidelines for its augmentation in a group setting. To address this gap, a novel group intervention, “Project Life Force,” (PLF; a 10-session manualized psychotherapy), was developed and piloted. Results indicate high feasibility and acceptability. Exploratory analysis revealed statistically significant decreases in suicidal thoughts/behaviors, depression, and hopelessness. Feedback from Veterans and PLF therapists is also discussed. Despite some limitations (e.g. small sample size) exploratory results suggest that PLF may be a promising treatment for Veterans with suicidal symptomology.