Population Impact of Wingman-Connect Implemented by the US Air Force

Part of paid clinical trials in Rochester, New York.

Sponsor
University of Rochester
Study ID
NCT05973942
Status
Enrolling By Invitation

Conditions

  • Suicide Prevention

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Wingman-Connect — BEHAVIORAL
    Training occurs in three 2-hr blocks over several days. Targeted Skills focus on protective factors (Four Cores) supportive of mental health, theoretically linked to reduced suicide risk, and essential to an Airmen's job success: (1) Healthy relationships and accountability spanning USAF and family/intimate relationships (Kinship); (2) Meaning and value in work and life (Purpose), (3) Informal and formal help-seeking (Guidance); and (4) Activities that give strength and balance emotions (Balance). Activities progress from individual to group skill-building activities. Kinship modules at operational base (FTAC) expand focus on growing and sustaining relationships with intimate partners, friends, and family; and Guidance more on senior mentors at work.

Study Details

This study involves collection of implementation data and analysis of USAF de-identified administrative data on base-level suicide attempt rates following US Air Force (USAF) delivery of Wingman-Connect training at 8 operational AF bases, as part of a force-wide scale out of the program. Implementation of Wingman-Connect by the USAF will occur over 51 months. The AF has agreed to stagger implementation based on a randomized stepped-wedge design. Once Wingman-Connect has been initiated at each base, all entering first-term Airmen will receive Wingman-Connect, with \~17,400 total Airmen receiving Wingman-Connect across all bases. Implementation. The study will directly collect data from USAF prevention personnel who are involved in the delivery of the intervention to measure fidelity and measure implementation barriers and facilitators. These base-level data are essential to test Wingman-Connect impact on suicide attempt rates in a general USAF population, to study Wingman-Connect diffusion, and to refine implementation processes and tools. Suicide Rates. Bases routinely provide their base-wide suicide attempt rates to the Air Force Medical Readiness Agency (AFMRA). AFMRA will provide these routinely-collected aggregate administrative data to this study in order to analyze changes in base-level suicide attempt rates (USAF administrative data) among the 8 bases.

Key Dates

Start date
Aug 13, 2024
Status verified
Feb 2026
Primary completion
Feb 28, 2027
Completion
Aug 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
17,400 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SEQUENTIAL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION

Arms

  • Experimental: Wingman-Connect
    Wingman-Connect (Wyman et al., 2020) uses a network health theoretical framework to strengthen two suicide-protective functions of social networks: 1) Strengthening positive social bonds, and 2) Building healthy norms that incentivize adaptive coping. Training will be delivered in First Term Airmen classes among all Airmen arriving at base during the study period.

Primary Outcome Measure

Total Number Base level suicide attempts among Ranks E1-4 [ Time Frame: 4 years ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of RochesterRochesterNew York14642-

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By research site
University of Rochester· Rochester, NY

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