Practice-Based Research on Youth Suicide Prevention Pilot Program

Practice-Based Research on Youth Suicide Prevention Pilot Program is sponsored by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) / Nationwide Children's Hospital (ASPIRES). Funds small-scale, innovative, or exploratory clinical research focused on youth suicide prevention in practice settings.

ASPIRES funds small-scale, innovative, exploratory research to advance youth suicide prevention. Generating promising pilot data can enable researchers to apply for the funding necessary to conduct larger studies.

Practice-Based Research on Youth Suicide Prevention Pilot Program Supported by P50 Center grant funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Center for Accelerating Suicide Prevention in Real-World Settings (ASPIRES) aims to accelerate the development and implementation of effective interventions to reduce suicide in children and adolescents.

Jeff Bridge, PhD, director of the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research (CSPR) in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Cynthia Fontanella, PhD, a principal investigator in CSPR, lead ASPIRES and its investigators as co-directors.

The goal of the ASPIRES pilot program, Practice-Based Research on Youth Suicide Prevention, is to fund small-scale, innovative or exploratory clinical research focused on youth suicide prevention in practice settings. We encourage applications from researchers from underrepresented ethnic and racial backgrounds proposing research focused on understanding and preventing suicide. Up to two projects will be funded each cycle.

For each project, up to $50,000 in direct costs may be budgeted for a one-year project, with no carryover or extension permitted. Indirect costs are allowed at the awarded institution’s rate. Applications are due by April 13, 2026.

Pilot Grant Program Summer Conference The second annual ASPIRES Pilot Grant Program Summer Conference will be held in 2026. Registration details to come.

2025 Summer Conference Videos ASPIRES Center Pilot Grant Program - Introduction & Stephanie Gorka, PhD ASPIRES Center Pilot Grant Program - Heather Wastler, PhD ASPIRES Center Pilot Grant Program - Ginger Yang, PhD, MPH ASPIRES Center Pilot Grant Program - Jennifer Hughes, PhD ASPIRES Center Pilot Grant Program - Katherine Sarkisian, PhD Current Research Projects: 2025 Perceptions and Use of the 988 Lifeline among Youth at Risk of Suicide and their Caregivers in the Emergency Department Principal Investigators: Ashley Foster and Jennifer Hoffmann Suicide is a major cause of death among U.S. adolescents, with rates rising by 62% in the past decade and 10% reporting a suicide attempt in the past year.

For teens experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, crisis lines (call and text) are the recommended first point of contact within a comprehensive crisis care system. In 2021, the US Congress allocated funding to expand the crisis call center network nationally and introduced 988 as a standardized three-digit lifeline.

However, despite crisis lines being the recommended entry point for crisis services, emergency departments (EDs) often serve as the default setting for evaluating adolescents with a suicide-related crisis. Currently, little is known about how adolescents evaluated in the ED for suicide risk and their caregivers engage with 988, or their perspectives on using 988 before or after an ED visit.

This study aims to (1) assess the awareness and use of the 988 lifeline before an ED visit among adolescents with identified suicide risk and their caregivers, and (2) evaluate perceptions, attitudes, and barriers to use of 988 lifeline services among adolescents with identified suicide risk who visit the ED and their caregivers.

Testing a Novel Assessment Tool for Proximal and Distal Factors in the Lead-Up to Suicide Attempts in Adolescents Principal Investigators: Amy Brausch and Lance Hahn Deaths from suicide continue to be a major public health concern, particularly among youth for whom suicide ranks as the second leading cause of death. Up to 9% of high school students report past-year suicide attempts.

However, pathways and trajectories of the events and experiences leading up to suicide attempts are not well understood, particularly in youth.

The proposed study aims to identify distinct warning signs for transition points from ideation to action for suicide attempts using the Card Sort Task for Self-Harm (CaTS), as well as determining the acceptability and feasibility of utilizing the CaTS as a clinical tool that could help tailor treatment goals and safety planning for youth with suicide risk.

It is expected that unique types, sequences and networks of high frequency proximal and distal factors (thoughts, feelings, behaviors and events) will be identified for suicide attempts. Youth will be recruited from admitted patients at a Children’s Crisis Stabilization Unit in the south-central United States. Participants will be administered the research protocol, which includes using the CaTS for most recent suicide attempt.

Data from this project will increase our understanding of the proximal and distal factors that precede suicide attempts for youth. It will inform proposals for future studies that will evaluate the CaTS’ ability to improve treatment outcomes for at-risk youth.

Current Research Projects: 2024 Using the RE-AIM Framework to Examine the Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) Program for Suicide Prevention Principal Investigator: Jennifer Hughes The Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) Program, a classroom-based mental health promotion and suicide prevention program for adolescents (ages 14-16), has been found to help prevent severe suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

Widespread use of YAM in United States schools has been limited, and studies are needed to better understand how to support schools in using YAM and other evidence-based suicide prevention programs.

One approach to understanding these challenges and potential solutions is the RE-AIM framework, which includes the following five factors: Reach (how many students received YAM), Efficacy (what impact did YAM have on students’ mental health), Adoption (how many schools will use YAM upon hearing about it), Implementation (how can we best deliver YAM in schools), and Maintenance (how many schools will continue to use YAM over time).

The current study will explore these RE-AIM factors through qualitative interviews and focus groups with key partners (e.g., adolescents, parents, school personnel) about their view of the YAM program. The study also includes a pilot program to deliver YAM in 12 Ohio classrooms to understand adolescents’ perspectives and experience with the program.

Study findings will inform future plans to deliver YAM and other evidence-based suicide prevention programs in schools. Feasibility Testing of a Self-Compassion Intervention for LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Prevention Principal Investigator: Katherine Sarkisian Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ youth often face extra sources of stress, like bullying and discrimination.

Studies have shown that self-compassion may help with extra sources of stress like these. Self-compassion is being kind to ourselves, especially when we’re stressed. We will be testing whether adding a self-compassion plan to a suicide prevention safety plan can help LGBTQ+ youth cope with crisis situations and remember that they belong.

Current Research Projects: 2023 Feasibility Trial of a Single Session of Crisis Response Planning for Youth at High Risk for Suicide Principal Investigator: Stephanie Gorka Adolescents experience significant barriers to in-person suicide prevention treatment and prefer anonymity when disclosing suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

There is untapped potential for virtual messaging services to engage high-risk youth who typically do not receive treatment but could significantly benefit. Thus, the primary goal of the proposed award is to adapt and pilot test a virtual chat-based suicide prevention intervention for high-risk adolescents.

Emotion Regulation and Suicidal Ideation among Adolescents and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Principal Investigator: Heather Wastler Adolescents and young adults at clinical high risk for psychosis are at increased risk for suicide, though little is known about the mechanisms that contribute to this risk.

The current study will address this gap by examining emotion regulation as a mechanism for suicidal ideation using a multimethod approach including clinical interviews, ecological momentary assessment, and objective measurement of autonomic activity (high-frequency heart rate variability). This work has the potential to advance the development of novel preventative interventions for this high-risk group.

Predicting Mental Health Sequelae Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Youth Principal Investigators: Kristen Hoskinson and Ginger Yang Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and mental health are both significant public health problems disproportionately affecting youth, particularly those from disadvantaged populations whose access to care and resources are suboptimal.

This pilot study aims to develop a clinically relevant prognostic tool, derived from electronic health record and Medicaid claims data, that can be used to accurately predict which youth with mTBI are at elevated risk for mental health sequelae.

This tool can then be translated readily to clinical practice to facilitate the targeted delivery of early, individualized treatment to prevent mental health sequelae and reduce the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide after mTBI.