Understanding changing suicide risk in preteens (ages 8–12)
Clarifying phenotypes of suicide risk in preteen youth: An intensive longitudinal assessment study
This project creates and checks new tools to track how thoughts and behaviors related to suicide change day-to-day in children about 8 to 12 years old.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Piscataway, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180327 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child is between about 8 and 12 and has had troubling thoughts or behaviors, researchers will adapt a teen suicide-risk questionnaire to make it appropriate for younger children. With parental permission, children will be asked to report their feelings multiple times per day using brief phone prompts and the team may collect passive data from wearable biosensors to see short-term changes. The study will compare these repeated reports to clinical interviews and other measures to make sure the tools work well for preteens. The overall aim is to learn when risk rises so families and clinicians might one day respond faster.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children roughly 8–12 years old who have had suicidal thoughts or behaviors or who are considered at risk, with a parent or guardian willing to provide consent and participate in frequent check-ins and possible sensor monitoring.
Not a fit: Children who are not experiencing suicidal thoughts or who cannot or will not complete frequent brief reports or wear a sensor are unlikely to get direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help spot short-term spikes in suicide risk in preteens so support can be offered at the right time.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies using frequent brief reports and sensors in teens and adults have shown that suicide risk can fluctuate rapidly and be captured with these methods, but applying and validating them in preteens is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Piscataway, United States
- Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. — Piscataway, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kleiman, Evan — Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j.
- Study coordinator: Kleiman, Evan
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.