Understanding why suicidal thoughts and behaviors develop in Black youth from adolescence to young adulthood
Official title: Social-Ecological and Individual Determinants of the Course of Suicidal Ideation & Attempt among African Americans from Early Adolescence toYoung Adulthood
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11362563 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study follows Black youths in Baltimore from childhood into young adulthood to understand how social and personal factors influence suicidal thoughts and behaviors over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 19, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $400,030 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH134009-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362563 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Black youth in Baltimore who were part of the study cohort and are within the developmental windows studied (ages around 6-26 over the data collection span).
✕Less likely to help
Individuals outside the study region or not fitting the age range may not directly benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
The project tracks 630 Black youth in Baltimore across multiple years, collecting data on mental health, school performance, social life, life events, and experiences like discrimination. Researchers will look at how early life factors and later social environments shape the emergence and course of suicidal thoughts and attempts during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Findings could point to developmentally appropriate prevention and intervention targets that fit the lived experiences of low-income urban Black youth.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better prevention and intervention strategies could be developed to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors in Black adolescents and young adults.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has highlighted racial and developmental influences on suicide risk, but this program extends longitudinal insight with a focus on a specific urban Black population over two decades.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rabinowitz, Jill Alexandra — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Rabinowitz, Jill Alexandra
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeted online suicide prevention for Veterans
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-
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-
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This project follows 2,000 adults in rural U.S. communities for a year to learn which social and economic factors lead to depression and suicidal thoughts and which technology-based supports people prefer.
-
Understanding factors linked to Black youth suicide and thoughts of harm
This project looks at what increases or protects Black youth from suicide and suicidal thoughts to help families and clinicians prevent these tragedies.
-
Understanding how social connections and daily routines affect late-life thoughts of suicide after a spouse’s death
This study follows older adults who recently lost a spouse to see how feeling connected to others and having consistent daily routines relate to suicide risk.
-
Depression and suicidal thoughts in bisexual teens and young adults
This project follows bisexual adolescents and young adults to learn how depression and suicidal thoughts change over time and what raises or lowers risk.
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.