Identifying risk and resilience markers of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in Veterans
Official title: Identifying Risk and Resilience Markers of Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in Veterans: A Longitudinal Study of Natural Language Processing and Neurophysiology
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11187431 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to spot biobehavioral signals in Veterans that relate to suicidal thoughts and actions by looking at spoken language and brain activity over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Long Beach, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2026 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01CX002814-01A2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11187431 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans, especially those with affective or anxiety disorders and a history or risk factors for suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
✕Less likely to help
Persons without exposure to Veterans or without relevant risk factors may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Veterans who may be at risk for suicide will be followed over several years to collect and analyze data from speech patterns and brain responses. Researchers will use natural language processing to examine the language Veterans use and psychophysiological measures to assess arousal and emotion regulation. The goal is to identify markers that signal increased risk or resilience so clinicians can tailor prevention strategies. The study combines linguistics, neuroscience, and computer analysis to build a clearer picture of what elevates or protects against suicide risk in this population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier identification of at-risk Veterans and more targeted prevention interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier civilian studies suggest language use and brain responses relate to suicidal ideation, but research in Veterans is still developing.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Long Beach, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hazlett, Erin a. — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Hazlett, Erin a.
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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.