Dysregulation and Proximal Risk for Suicide (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

archived

A major goal of research on suicide is to improve our understanding of who is at most risk, why people transition from suicidal thoughts to action, and when to intervene (Prioritized Research Agenda for Suicide Prevention, Short-term Objective 1.C). Risk is a dynamic process and suicide attempts are often preceded by acute stressors. While many studies of suicide risk focus on emotion dysregulation, fewer studies have examined Arousal and Regulation and how these domains dynamically shape emotional and cognitive functions such as response to reward, frustrative non-reward, cognitive flexibility and control, or decision-making. Very few studies in the NIMH portfolio on suicide risk have focused on proximal risk. This FOA will fund research that will address these gaps, provide understanding of the mechanisms of how dysregulation interacts with Cognition, Negative and Positive Valence to determine time-varying risk, and identify modifiable targets for timely interventions during high risk periods. Applications submitted in response to this FOA must explicitly explore how interactions between at least one construct in the domain of Arousal and Regulation and one or more constructs in other RDoC domains are linked to imminent risk for suicide attempts. Studies that are focused solely on static suicidal traits, past behavior, or distal risk will not be considered responsive to this FOA, nor will studies that are solely focused on a single RDoC domain.

High