Using electronic health records to predict suicide risk in young people

Extracting RDoC Constructs from EHR through Natural Language Processing to Predict Suicide in Youth

NIH-funded research Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-10689244

This study is looking at how information from electronic health records can help find young people who might be at risk for suicide, using smart technology to understand signs of mental health issues like depression and anxiety, so we can better prevent these risks and support our youth.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionChildren's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Philadelphia, United States)
Project IDNIH-10689244 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates how data from electronic health records (EHR) can be analyzed to identify young individuals at risk of suicide. By employing advanced techniques like natural language processing and machine learning, the study aims to extract important psychological indicators related to mental health from EHR data. The focus is on understanding how factors such as depression and anxiety, as defined by the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), relate to suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents. The goal is to improve prediction methods for suicide risk in youth, ultimately leading to better prevention strategies.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents aged 12 to 20 who have a history of mental health issues such as depression or anxiety.

Not a fit: Patients who are outside the age range of 12 to 20 or do not have any mental health concerns may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more accurate identification of adolescents at risk for suicide, enabling timely interventions.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown promise in using EHR data analytics for predicting suicide risk, indicating that this approach has potential for success.

Where this research is happening

Philadelphia, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Anxiety Disorders
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.