Understanding how life experiences and body stress affect suicide risk in young people
Official title: The Role of the Exposome and Allostatic Load in Risk and Resilience to Youth Suicide Attempts
Funded at Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-11177029 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand how life experiences and the body's response to stress affect why some young people attempt suicide and others do not.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $721,911 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH134886-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11177029 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is focused on understanding factors related to suicide attempts in youth aged 12-20, particularly those who have experienced adversity or are considered high-risk.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not within the 12-20 age range or those not at risk for suicide attempts may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
We want to learn more about why some young people are at higher risk for suicide attempts, even when facing similar life challenges. Our work will look at how a person's environment and lifestyle, called the "exposome," combine with the body's physical response to stress, known as "allostatic load." By studying these factors together, we hope to uncover new ways to identify youth who might be at risk and understand what helps others be resilient. This will help us develop better tools to measure these risks and understand how stress impacts mental health in adolescents.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to identify young people at risk for suicide and develop new strategies to support their mental well-being and resilience.
How similar studies have gone: While individual links between exposome, allostatic load, and suicide risk have been explored, this project is novel in integrating both concepts within a common framework.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barzilay, Ran — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Barzilay, Ran
Related research
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Exposome and Stress Load to Understand Youth Suicide Risk
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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.