# Uncovering the Risk Architecture of Suicidal Behaviors: a Representative Sample at High Risk: Diversity Supplement

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC · 2022 · $54,895

## Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that approximately 800,000 people die by suicide
every year, with rates per 100,000 varying from 0.3 (Barbados) to 34.6 (Sri Lanka), with Guyana at 30.6, the
second highest suicide rate of any country; about three times the global average. Worldwide, suicide is the
second leading cause of death among those 15 - 29 years of age. The United States rate (13.4) has been
rising significantly, in spite of great effort, and remains slightly worse than France (12.3). Psychopathology,
poverty, stress, age and gender are among the most often cited risk factors associated with suicide. However,
because it is a rare event, suicide research often lacks adequate statistical power to effectively examine the
associations and interactions of even the most common risk factors. On the other hand, most countries that
have very high suicide rates also lack adequate infrastructure to support good research and/or have
homogenous populations, thus limiting analysis of risk factor associations and interactions. Furthermore,
because of its rarity, the cost of obtaining an adequate sample size to effectively investigate suicide is
generally prohibitive. To overcome these limitations and to move suicide risk research forward, we have
developed a partnership with the Guyanese Ministry of Public Health, the Guyanese National Bureau of
Statistics, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO-WHO) and the collaboration of an internationally
recognized group of suicidologists. With this team, we propose, to study suicide risk factors in a unique,
multipronged approach. First, we will thoroughly assess a nationally representative community cohort for
recent and lifetime suicidal behviors, as well as characterize their individual and community level risk factors.
We will then follow this cohort in a longitudinal design over two additional waves of assessment, allowing for
prospective analyses of suicidal behviors. Second, we will ascertain and assess all suicide attempters who
present clinically, and, third, we will conduct psychological autopsies on a subset of suicide completers. We
will also collect and biobank saliva for future DNA analysis. Together these samples will allow for case-control
analyses, differentiating risk factors specific to attempts and completions across major racial/ethnic and
religious groups. Finally, suicide rates in Guyana vary across the 10 geographic regions, among the three
major religious groups (Hindu, Christian and Muslim) and among the four major races/ethnicities, in ways
that have yet to be explained. This study is designed to help understand how the relationships of key
characteristics, interact with individual risk factors to influence suicidal behaviors. Through a collaborative
design that utilizes training and data-driven input throughout, this study has the potential to make critically
important contributions to the development of more targeted suicide prevention programs in any setting,
particular...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10469863
- **Project number:** 3R01MH117360-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC
- **Principal Investigator:** Christina W. Hoven
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $54,895
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-08-02 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10469863

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10469863, Uncovering the Risk Architecture of Suicidal Behaviors: a Representative Sample at High Risk: Diversity Supplement (3R01MH117360-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10469863. Licensed CC0.

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