Understanding how social threat and pain relate to suicidal thoughts in teens and young adults
Official title: Moving beyond the Pain-Suicidality Link: An Investigation of Fluctuations in Social Threat and Neural Response to Social Threat in Momentary Pain and Proximal Risk for Suicidal Ideation in Adolescence
Funded at Research Triangle Institute · NIH-11321722 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows teens and young adults to see how daily pain, social stress, and brain responses connect to moments of suicidal thoughts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Triangle Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Research Triangle Park, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $795,637 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH132602-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321722 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents and young adults (roughly ages 10–25) experiencing pain or high social stress who are willing to engage in longitudinal monitoring.
✕Less likely to help
People not experiencing pain or social stress, or those not consent-ready for longitudinal monitoring, may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Adolescence is a critical time when suicidal thoughts can begin to appear. The study uses real-time data to track pain, social threat, and brain responses to identify how these factors combine to influence suicidal ideation over hours and days. By following participants over time, researchers aim to map when and why SI arises and how it might be prevented. The findings could point to new ways to support youth who experience pain and social stress. Participation would involve assessments and possibly brain-related measurements conducted with appropriate safeguards.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to earlier identification of youths at risk and inform tailored interventions to reduce suicidal thoughts.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked pain and social factors to SI, but this project advances by examining fluctuations over hours and days in a real-world setting.
Where this research is happening
-
Research Triangle Institute
Research Triangle Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oppenheimer, Caroline — Research Triangle Institute
- Study coordinator: Oppenheimer, Caroline
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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.