Prazosin for Suicide Prevention using Large-Scale Health Data
Official title: Evaluating Prazosin for Suicide Prevention through Rigorous Large Database Methods (The PRAZ-Enhance Study)
Funded at Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital · NIH-11350128 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large VA-backed study will look at whether the blood pressure medicine prazosin could help prevent suicide and self-harm by analyzing real-world health data.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bedford, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01RD000638-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11350128 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in VA care who are prescribed prazosin or comparable antiadrenergic medications.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not using prazosin or whose conditions limit benefit from antiadrenergic therapy may see little to no improvement.
What this research studies
This project uses existing VA health records to see if prazosin is linked to lower suicide and self-harm risk among Veterans. It will apply quick, rigorous data methods to compare outcomes and check for biases in how self-harm is recorded. Two innovative screening approaches will guide which comparisons to run, with results shared with VA leadership to inform potential real-world use. The work aims to make evidence about prazosin readily usable for clinicians and policy makers within a year.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, prazosin could become a more widely used, off-the-shelf option to help reduce suicide risk among Veterans.
How similar studies have gone: Previous findings suggested a potential reduction in suicidal thinking with prazosin, but broader effects on suicide and self-harm require confirmation.
Where this research is happening
-
Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
Bedford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Eric G. — Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
- Study coordinator: Smith, Eric G.
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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.