Understanding suicidal crises in borderline personality disorder
Psychobiology of Suicidal Behavior in Borderline Personality Disorder
This project aims to better predict and prevent suicidal thoughts and attempts in people with borderline personality disorder using long-term follow-up, daily symptom tracking, and decision-making tests.
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 ID | NIH-11266150 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of a long-term group of people with BPD who are followed over years to see how life events and mood changes lead to suicidal thoughts or attempts. The team gathers daily reports of mood and stress to find short-term warning signs and runs brief lab tasks to study how decision-making and problem-solving break down in a crisis. They combine years of outcomes, hours-to-days monitoring, and minute-long experimental tasks to build personalized risk profiles. The researchers aim to link specific interpersonal triggers and psychological patterns to moments when suicidal behavior becomes more likely.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, especially those with a history of suicidal thoughts or prior suicide attempts, are the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People without BPD, those with no history of suicidal ideation or attempts, or individuals unwilling to complete frequent monitoring and periodic clinic visits are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians spot high-risk moments sooner and tailor interventions to prevent suicide attempts.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies, including this group's prior work, have shown links between interpersonal stress, rapid mood shifts, and suicidal thoughts, but reliable short-term prediction and neurocomputational models of crisis behavior remain an active and developing area.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dombrovski, Alexandre Y. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Dombrovski, Alexandre Y.
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.