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Sleep and Circadian Interventions for College Students at High Risk of Suicide
Triple Chronotherapy + Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention (TSC+) for Suicidal Young Adults
Who can join
Ages 18 to 25 · All sexes
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Enrolled or planning to enroll in treatment at COSTAR Intensive Outpatient Program * English language fluency and literacy sufficient to engage in study protocol * Suicidal ideation or suicide attempt in past month * Clinically significant sleep disturbance, operationalized as Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global PSQI score \>= 7, and/or delayed bedtimes (\>midnight), and/or \>2 hours in sleep timing variability Exclusion Criteria: * Non-affective psychosis per electronic health record (EHR) review and/or baseline clinical assessment, or symptom severity or psychosocial functioning impairments that preclude participation * Contraindications for either sleep deprivation or bright light therapy (e.g., bipolar disorder; seizure disorder; photosensitizing medication) * Intellectual disability precluding comprehension of study procedures * Evidence of untreated obstructive sleep apnea and/or restless legs syndrome * Life-threatening medical condition requiring immediate treatment (such as cancer; end stage disease) * Pregnancy
About the study
The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which delivering sleep and circadian focused interventions in addition to evidenced based psychiatric care for depression and suicide risk may contribute to decreasing suicide risk among high risk young adults. Investigators will evaluate three interventions targeting sleep in acutely suicidal college students enrolled in intensive outpatient treatment. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups:
1. Triple Chronotherapy (TCT)+ Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention (TSC) 2. Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention (TSC) 3. Sleep Feedback (SF) Participants will be followed for 6 months with primary outcome domains of suicidal thoughts and behaviors and depression evaluated by blinded clinicians at short (Days 1-4 of intervention), medium (2 months) and long (6 month) term intervals.
What is being tested
- Sleep Feedback + Psychoeducation (behavioral)
- Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention + Bright Light (TSC+) (behavioral)
- Triple Chronotherapy (TCT+) (behavioral)
Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh · Participants: 90 · Started: Jun 18, 2026
Contact the study team
- Dawn Rice, MS · Phone: 412-297-1947
- Tina Goldstein, PhD · Phone: 412-246-5604
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07346014
Locations in the U.S.
| Pennsylvania | Western Psychiatric Hospital/University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.