Digital tracking of emotions and suicidal thoughts for people at high risk for psychosis
Official title: Digital Monitoring of Emotion Regulation and Suicidal Ideation among Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11249673 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses smartphone prompts and sensor data to track emotional changes and moments of suicidal thinking in people at clinical high risk for psychosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $236,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R21MH136378-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249673 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People identified as being at clinical high risk for psychosis who experience mood or suicidal thoughts and who can use a smartphone (and possibly a wearable) are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not at clinical high risk for psychosis, who do not experience suicidal thoughts, or who cannot use smartphone-based tools may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
You would receive brief smartphone prompts throughout the day and the study may collect phone or wearable sensor data to capture your emotions, how and when you try to manage them, and any suicidal thoughts. The team uses a stepwise model of emotion regulation that looks at identifying feelings, choosing a strategy, putting it into action, and monitoring whether it worked. Researchers will look for patterns like delayed regulation or ineffective strategies that may lead to emotional cascades and suicidal thinking. Data are gathered in real time with ecological momentary assessment and physiological signals such as heart-rate changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help spot early warning signs and timing of suicidal thoughts so clinicians or digital tools can intervene sooner.
How similar studies have gone: Previous ecological momentary assessment work in psychosis has linked momentary emotion-regulation problems to suicidal thoughts, though applying a detailed emotion-regulation staging model in real time is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wastler, Heather M. — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Wastler, Heather M.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Monitoring emotions and suicidal thoughts in people at risk for psychosis
This study is looking at how young people who are at risk for psychosis handle their emotions and how that might connect to thoughts of suicide, using digital tools to track their feelings in real-time to help find better ways to support them.
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Understanding how emotional regulation and brain connectivity affect early signs of psychosis
This study is looking at how managing emotions and brain connections might affect the early signs of psychosis in people who are at a higher risk, with the goal of finding ways to help prevent these symptoms from getting worse.
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Psychosis in diverse settings across the world
This project studies how psychotic disorders show up and respond to treatment in adults with diverse backgrounds, including populations in Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings.
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Psychosis in Diverse Settings: Understanding Symptoms and Treatment Across Global South
A human-facing study will look at how psychotic disorders present and respond to treatment in adults from Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings, using genetic and clinical data.
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A new online brain-scan-style tool to spot early psychosis risk
A new online-based set of tasks and a computer model aims to identify people at high risk for developing psychosis earlier and more accurately.
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Genetic clues for early-onset psychosis in Latino youth
This project looks at the genes of young people with early-onset psychosis and compares them with similar youths without psychosis to find genetic factors that contribute to the illness.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.