Behavioral and Physiological Predictors of Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的研究和培训计划旨在提高我们对青少年自杀行为风险标记的理解，并使申请人具备在发展精神病理学和自杀领域进行独立纵向研究所需的技能。迫切需要找到降低青少年自杀率的方法，重要的第一步是在这个年龄段建立自杀的风险标记或预测因素。该研究的目的是确定青少年自杀行为的多种行为和生物（心理生理）风险标记。重要的是，这些目标也与国家精神卫生研究所（NIMH）战略计划相一致，该计划强调需要识别与临床相关问题相关的生物学和行为标记。这一目标将通过以下具体目标实现：目标1。目的：探讨青少年自杀行为任务（即死亡/自杀IAT和自杀Stroop测试）与自杀行为的关系。目标2。探讨青少年自杀相关刺激（心理生理测量）中恐惧反应的减少与自杀行为的关系。目标3。目的：探讨青少年自杀行为的行为和心理生理预测因素之间的相互关联。这项工作有可能更好地识别那些自杀风险最大的青少年，他们迫切需要干预。与用于诊断身体状况的最新方法一致，这一系列研究的最终目的是确定一组简短的测试，可用于客观评估青少年的自杀风险。这些措施是理想的，因为它们简短，易于管理和评分，因此可以在急诊科或住院环境中使用，以告知有关青少年入院和出院的决定。因此，这一研究项目具有显著推进临床科学的潜力，并使该领域评估自杀行为风险的方式现代化。本申请的培训计划扩展了申请人之前在以下领域的研究和临床经验：发展精神病理学，自杀，纵向研究设计和分析。为了实现这些目标，申请人精心组建了一个由发起人和顾问组成的团队来指导和支持这个项目。马修·诺克博士（发起人）在自杀研究和青少年精神病理学方面具有专长。罗纳德·达尔博士（顾问）是青少年大脑和青春期发育以及早期干预方面的专家。最后，Terry Blumenthal博士在惊吓反射方法方面拥有专业知识，这是本项目选择的生理测量方法。总之，F32培训将提升申请人在三个新领域的知识和专业知识，并为作为独立临床科学家的职业生涯奠定基础。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed research and training plan aims to advance our understanding of risk markers for suicidal behavior in adolescents, and to equip the applicant with the skills necessary to carry out independent longitudinal research in the areas of developmental psychopathology and suicide. There is an urgent need to identify ways to reduce rates of suicide among adolescents, and an important first step is to establish risk markers - or predictors - of suicide in this age group. The goal of the proposed research is to identify multipl behavioral and biological (psychophysiological) risk markers for suicidal behavior in adolescents. Importantly, these goals are also consistent with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Strategic Plan, which highlights the need for identifying biological and behavioral markers associated with clinically relevant problems. This goal will be achieved through the following specific aims: Aim 1. To examine the relation between two behavioral tasks for suicide (i.e., death/suicide IAT and suicide Stroop test) and suicidal behavior in adolescents. Aim 2. To examine the relation between reduced fear responding during suicide-related stimuli (psychophysiological measure) and suicidal behavior in adolescents. Aim 3. To examine additive and interactive associations between behavioral and psychophysiological predictors of suicidal behavior in adolescents. This work has the potential to better identify those adolescents at greatest suicide risk, who are in critical need of intervention. In line with state f the art methods used to diagnose physical conditions, this line of research aims ultimately to identify a short battery of tests that can be used to objectively assess risk for suicide in adolescents. These measures are ideal because they are brief, easily administered and scored, and thus could feasibly be used in an emergency department or inpatient setting to inform decisions about adolescents' admission and discharge from hospital care. Therefore, this program of research has the potential to significantly advance clinical science and to modernize the way the field assesses risk for suicidal behavior. The training plan in this application extends the applicant's previous research and clinical experiences in the following areas: developmental psychopathology, suicide, and longitudinal research design and analysis. In order to achieve these goals, the applicant has carefully assembled a team of sponsors and consultants to guide and support this project. Dr. Matthew Nock (sponsor) has expertise in suicide research and adolescent psychopathology. Dr. Ronald Dahl (consultant) is an expert in adolescent brain and pubertal development, as well as in early interventions. Finally, Dr. Terry Blumenthal has expertise in the startle reflex methodology - the physiological measure chosen for this project. In sum, the F32 training will advance the applicant's knowledge and expertise in three new areas and provide the foundation for a career as an independent clinical scientist.