How the brain's reward system affects social connection and suicide risk
Transdiagnostic Reward System Dynamics and Social Disconnection in Suicide
This project looks at how differences in the brain’s reward system relate to social withdrawal, help-seeking, and suicidal thoughts in people with mood or psychotic disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11286804 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will enroll people with mood or psychotic disorders, some of whom have current suicidal thoughts, and follow them for 12 months. You would complete lab tasks that measure how you respond to rewards, carry a smartphone for short real-time surveys and passive sensing, and return for periodic follow-up visits. The study mixes detailed lab-based measures with everyday monitoring to see how reward-related brain processes influence whether people disclose thoughts or reach out for help. The goal is to trace how these patterns change over time and around crises.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with affective (mood) disorders or psychotic disorders, including those currently experiencing suicidal ideation, are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People without mood or psychotic disorders, those not experiencing suicidal thoughts, or those unable or unwilling to use smartphone-based assessments and attend lab visits may not benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets for helping people connect with support and reduce suicide risk.
How similar studies have performed: Using lab tasks plus ecological momentary assessment and passive sensing is an emerging approach and applying it specifically to reward-driven social behavior in suicide risk is relatively new, while prior efforts to boost informal help-seeking have shown limited success.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Depp, Colin a. — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Depp, Colin a.
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.