How relationship conflict affects suicide risk in young adult couples
Testing a Dyadic Model of Proximal Suicide Risk in Young Adult Romantic Couples
This project looks at how emotional reactions and communication during romantic fights relate to suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young adults, especially those with borderline personality features.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11241144 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your romantic partner would take part in lab sessions where you talk about real relationship conflicts while researchers record emotions, behavior, and physiological responses. The team will recruit 168 couples aged 18–35, with at least one partner who has had recent suicide-related events, and will include people across the range of borderline personality symptoms. Researchers will follow couples over time to see how moments of conflict and communication patterns link to later suicidal thoughts or actions. The goal is to identify specific interaction patterns that increase short-term suicide risk so future supports can target those moments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are young adults (18–35) in a romantic relationship where at least one partner has had recent suicide-related thoughts or behaviors or shows significant borderline personality features.
Not a fit: People not currently in a romantic relationship, older than 35, or without recent suicide-related events or borderline personality features may not benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reduce suicide risk by focusing on couples' communication and emotional responses during conflicts.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research links relationship conflict to suicide risk, but directly studying couples' moment-to-moment interactions as predictors of suicidal events is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stepp, Stephanie D — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Stepp, Stephanie D
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 below.