Short-Term Risk For Suicidal Behavior Study (H-38275)

Mechanisms, Prediction and Treatment of Short-Term Risk for Suicidal Behavior, Version 2

This study focuses on individuals with recent medically-severe suicide attempt (MSSA), who are at high risk for suicide and non-suicide mortality, to address hypotheses that 1) risks and mechanisms for suicide, including aggression, impulsivity, and susceptibility to hopelessness, define a suicide-susceptible group across diagnoses, providing trans-diagnostic measures of lifetime risk for potentially lethal suicide attempts and targets for prevention; and 2) lithium acts on these mechanisms, potentially reducing suicidal behavior.

Hypothesis: Lithium will reduce laboratory-measured aggression, improve response-inhibition, stimulus processing, and action control, and modify biomarkers of suicidal behavior from AIM 1, even after controlling for any changes in mood or other psychiatric symptoms.

The study will be done at the VA Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. If eligible, participants will receive compensation. All inquiries are confidential.