Understanding how social connection affects suicide risk during the college transition
Official title: An Examination of Social Connection in Suicide Risk during the College Transition
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11447472 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study following college-bound teens and young adults to see how online and offline friends, messages, and everyday life details influence thoughts of suicide.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $747,342 |
| NIH project number | 1R01MH142532-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11447472 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are 15–24-year-olds entering or currently navigating the college transition who experience distress or have concerns about suicidality.
✕Less likely to help
Participants not experiencing distress related to suicidal thoughts or who are outside the 15–24 age range may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses smartphone data and daily diaries to map how social ties—online and in person—relate to suicidal thoughts and behaviors during the first college semester. Participants will share near-real-time information from their phones and reflect on their sense of belonging and distress over four months. The goal is to identify patterns that could help clinicians, families, and campuses support students at risk and tailor interventions. The approach blends technology with time-based surveys to capture how changing social connections align with mental health changes. The study is designed to yield insights that could guide prevention strategies for young people transitioning to college life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform targeted prevention and support strategies for college students at risk of suicide by highlighting critical moments and digital behaviors to watch.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that social connections influence mental health, with this study offering a novel, high-resolution look at digital and offline interactions during college transition.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ammerman, Brooke a — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Ammerman, Brooke 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.