Feasibility and Acceptability of Health Coaching as an Upstream Suicide Prevention Approach: A Pilot Study Among Post-9/11 Veterans

This pilot study sought to examine the feasibility and acceptability of Whole Health Coaching (WHC) among post-9/11 era veterans with indicators of suicide risk. Participants were 28 post-9/11 veterans with 1 or more diagnoses associated with suicide risk (depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, pain, sleep disorders, or substance use disorders) recruited from primary care clinics. WHC is a patient-centered approach that facilitates goal-setting, articulation of action steps, and goal achievement. Participants received 8 weekly coaching sessions and completed questionnaires at baseline and Weeks 4, 8, and 16. Feasibility and acceptability outcomes were study enrollment and intervention completion rates, a measure of participant satisfaction, and intervention fidelity. Psychological well-being was the primary health outcome. Qualitative interviews with participants provided additional information about feasibility, acceptability, and health outcomes. Twenty-eight (48%) of the 58 eligible patients reached by phone enrolled. Seventy-five percent (n = 21) completed the intervention (≥ 5 sessions). Mean satisfaction with the intervention was 28.2 (32 possible total). Qualitative analyses further supported the acceptability of WHC. Postintervention (Week 8), participants reported nonsignificant improvements in psychological well-being (p =.88; d = 0.04). These findings suggest WHC is an acceptable and feasible modality among veterans with suicide risk indicators.