Methods Core

The Specific Aims of the Methods Core (MC) are to provide a shared infrastructure that will enable ETUDES investigators to efficiently conduct our proposed Signature R01 clinical trial that will include the “integrated Care to Help At-Risk Teens” (iCHART) intervention developed during the current funding period, the three R34 treatment development studies described in our application, and multiple small pilot studies and analyses yet to be developed. The MC will also advance the development of emerging technologies to identify youth at risk for suicide with a special focus on engaging youth representative of the pediatric practices, enriched for those with who have disparities with regard to exposure to risk factors and lack of ready access to quality mental healthcare (MH); and serve as a local and national resource on the prevention of adolescent suicide through sharing research expertise, providing training opportunities, and expanding the field of investigators. The MC will provide this operational, development, and analytic support through: (1) Shared staff, infrastructure, and other resources to support high-quality and efficient recruitment, assessment, data management, and statistical support across all ETUDES studies; (2) Application of implementation science, qualitative methods, and cost analyses frameworks to ensure our interventions meet the needs of patients, caregivers, primary care providers, and health systems so as to optimize their future uptake if proven effective; (3) Development of novel methods to predict, assess, and prevent suicidal behavior using natural language processing of free-text electronic health records, mobile sensing of smartphone-collected data, machine learning of unstructured social media posts and search engine queries; and (4) Development of interventions that are created through principles of Human Centered Design that will be acceptable to all youth and families.