An interventional study of BEAR Therapeutic Group in Sexual Assault and Rape and Suicidal Thoughts, sponsored by Stanford University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-28.
Sponsored by Stanford University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this clinical study is to learn if the BEAR intervention effects outcome in women who have experienced sexual assault (broadly defined) and who have suicidal thinking. The main questions it aims to answer are:
All women will participate in a 12 week therapy group, which is conducted in-person.
Participants will
The study seeks cisgender women who have experienced sexual assault, broadly defined, and who also have suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The Building Empowerment and Resilience (BEAR) intervention is a 12-week manualized group therapy program developed for women who have experienced interpersonal violence. The group meets for 12 weeks, 1.5 hours each week. Participants must attend in-person, and it will only be conducted in Palo Alto, CA. All participants will receive the BEAR program.
The BEAR program integrates three components: 1) psychoeducation, 2) psychological skills, and 3) physical self-defense training. The psychoeducation component of the class covers topics such as healthy and unhealthy relationships, understanding stress response reactions in trauma, and shame and guilt. Social and cultural expectations are also discussed and linked to interpersonal violence.
The second component of the program advances a variety of skills that are important in all facets of the women's lives. These include skills such as assertiveness training, which is how to effectively stand up for one's rights; communication skills, which is how to communicate effectively through both verbal and nonverbal (body) language; and coping skills, which is how to managing stress and suicidal thoughts.
Physical self-defense skills are the final component of the program. An aim of the physical empowerment is to help the women embody their physical strength and voice. This physical aspect includes learning to use various levels of their voice; physical resistance moves that offer maximal opportunity for impact on an aggressor while minimizing harm to the women; specific hand/leg techniques (e.g., punching, kicking); where to target if they were attacked (e.g., nose); and training in "escape" skills that address breaking out of holds that are used by potential perpetrators (e.g., wrist grab or bear hug).
Intended group sizes will be 8-10 women per group, ages 18-75. A screening interview will be conducted to ensure eligibility. Assessments will be completed at baseline, six weeks into the group, post-group, and three- and twelve- months follow up. At each assessment point, a series of questionnaires will be completed. Additionally, after completion of the group and at the 12-month follow-up, a qualitative interview about their experience of the intervention will be conducted.
569 studies on the registry are indexed under Suicidal Ideation; 203 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 36 is below the median of 80 across 469 interventional studies indexed under Suicidal Ideation.
Browse Suicidal Ideation studies →Stanford University is the lead sponsor of 2,168 studies on the registry; 431 are open to participants now.
Of its 267 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 207 (78%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
The BEAR program integrates three components in a therapy group: psychoeducation (e.g., healthy relationships, stress response system, gender roles and socialization), psychological skills (e.g., assertive communication, coping skills, mindfulness), and physical self-defense (e.g., use of voice, physical techniques to maintain safety) training. (see detailed description).
Behavioral: BEAR Therapeutic Group
The BEAR program is a 12-week manualized group therapy program developed for women who have experienced sexual assault and have suicidal thinking. The program integrates three components: psychoeducation (e.g., healthy relationships, stress response system, gender roles and socialization), psychological skills (e.g., assertive communication, coping skills, mindfulness), and physical self-defense training (e.g., use of voice, physical techniques to maintain safety). The therapeutic group meets for 12 weeks, 1.5 hours each week. This is an in-person study and participants must attend in-person. The program will be conducted in Palo Alto, CA only.
Change in suicidal thinking from baseline to immediately post-treatment as measured by the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation
Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI) is a 21-item instrument used to measure the severity of suicidal ideation in adults. The severity of suicidal ideation is calculated by summing the ratings for the first 19 items, and total BSS scores can range from 0 to 38 points, with higher numbers indicating more severe suicidal ideation.
Time frame: From baseline to end of treatment at 12 weeks
Change in baseline coping self-efficacy to immediately post-treatment on the coping self-efficacy scale
The Coping Self-efficacy Scale is used to measure coping self-efficacy. There are 26 items, rating on a scale with the following anchor points: 0 (cannot do at all), 5 (moderately certain can do), and 10 (certain can do). Total scale scores range from 0 to 260, with higher scores meaning high coping self-efficacy.
Time frame: From baseline to end of treatment at 12 weeks
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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