How major life changes relate to suicide risk across adulthood
Official title: Aging, Major Life Transitions, and Suicide Risk
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11238067 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how big life changes—like losing a job, moving, getting sick, or losing a partner—relate to thinking about suicide, attempts, and suicide deaths in adults of different ages.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $774,927 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH128198-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238067 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in the U.S.—especially those aged 25 and older and older adults (around 50+)—who have experienced major life changes such as bereavement, job loss, serious illness, or moving would be most relevant to these analyses.
✕Less likely to help
People under age 25, non-U.S. residents, or individuals seeking immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this secondary-data research.
What this research studies
This work combines two large, long-running U.S. surveys (Americans' Changing Lives and the Health and Retirement Study) to follow adults over many years and see how major life transitions connect to suicidal thoughts, behaviors, and deaths. Researchers will link survey responses with national death records and run statistical analyses to find patterns across ages, sexes, races/ethnicities, mental health history, and medical conditions. They will test transitions in relationships, health, work/school, and residence, and will examine neighborhood and social-context factors that might make people more or less vulnerable. Because the project uses existing, nationally representative datasets rather than recruiting new patients, its goal is to pinpoint when and for whom prevention and support could help most.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help target prevention programs and social supports to the people and moments when suicide risk is highest.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked life events and social factors to suicide risk, but merging these long-term national datasets for a life-course analysis is a newer and more comprehensive approach.
Where this research is happening
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University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mezuk, Briana — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Mezuk, Briana
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Exploring how life changes affect suicide risk
This study looks at how big life changes, like moving, changing jobs, or shifts in relationships, might affect the risk of suicide, and it’s designed to help understand these risks better so we can find ways to prevent them for people at different stages of life.
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This study looks at how big life changes, like moving, changing jobs, or shifts in friendships, can affect the risk of suicide at different ages, and it aims to find ways to help prevent this risk by understanding what factors might make it better or worse.
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Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
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Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
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Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
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.