Preventing suicidal thoughts after losing a spouse by strengthening social ties and daily routines
Official title: Risk and resilience to late-life suicidal ideation and behavior after spousal bereavement: Targeting social connectedness to strengthen circadian rhythmicity
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11085229 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether improving social connections and stabilizing daily routines can lower suicidal thoughts in people 65 and older who recently lost a spouse.
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 start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $792,578 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH132114-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11085229 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People aged 65 or older who lost a spouse within the past six months and who have at least subthreshold depressive symptoms or a history of depression or suicide attempt.
✕Less likely to help
People under 65, those more than six months past their spouse's death, or those without depressive symptoms or a depression/suicide history are unlikely to be eligible or directly helped by this project.
What this research studies
You would join if you are 65 or older and lost a spouse within the past six months and have current depressive symptoms or a history of depression or suicide attempt. The team will enroll 169 bereaved older adults and follow them with repeated assessments over 12 months. Those assessments will track social connectedness and patterns of sleep, activity, meals, and social contact to see how daily routines relate to mood and suicidal thinking. The goal is to learn which social and routine factors raise or reduce suicide risk so future supports can be targeted to people like you.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to prevent suicidal thoughts and improve wellbeing for older adults grieving a spouse.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links social isolation and disrupted daily rhythms to depression and suicide risk, but focusing on newly bereaved older adults and tracking daily rhythms longitudinally is a relatively new and targeted approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stahl, Sarah T — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Stahl, Sarah T
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.