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Psychobiology of Suicidal Behavior in Borderline Personality Disorder

Award Number: R01MH048463
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/30/1992
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2028

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Psychobiology of Suicidal Behavior in Borderline Personality Disorder - This competing continuation proposal extends and deepens a productive program of longitudinal research on suicidal behavior in a cohort of 303 people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) with a prospectively ascertained high risk for serious suicide attempts. Our studies in 2017-22 focused on the pathway from interpersonal experiences to suicidal behavior, integrating three timescales: naturalistic prediction of suicidal behavior over years; prediction of suicidal ideation over days; and experimental interrogation of decision processes over minutes. Taken together, our findings show that the emergence of suicidal ideation from interpersonal conflict is catalyzed by internalizing psychopathology, whereas the transition to suicidal behavior is facilitated by externalizing psychopathology and neurobehavioral alterations in decision-making. Building on this work, we propose to (1) examine interpersonal traits and specific facets that cause decompensation in BPD and facilitate transitions in the suicidal process on a timescale of years, (2) improve individualized prediction of emotion dysregulation and suicidal thoughts on a timescale of hours to days, and (3) advance a neurocomputational account of the failed search for solutions in a crisis on a timescale of minutes. For continuity, we retain the historic focus on BPD as a prototypical personality disorder, yet we also emphasize dissociable contributions of multiple underlying internalizing and externalizing dimensions to the suicidal process. Our team has complementary expertise in suicide research (Dombrovski, PI), borderline personality and experience sampling (co-investigators Hallquist and Wright, and consultant Pilkonis), decision neuroscience (Dombrovski and Hallquist), and quantitative methods including machine learning (Hallquist and Wright, with consultant Jacobson joining now). We began leading the study in 2017, boosting recruitment, and quadrupling the number of publications compared to 2012-17. Proposed innovations include a focus on clinically salient facets of interpersonal traits, integration of intensive and extended EMA with passive sensing, an investigation of dynamic decision-making under high cognitive load supported by an original computational model, and a recently developed and validated multi-level approach to fMRI analysis. Clinically, understanding the suicidogenic effects of interpersonal trait facets and elaboration of personalized models of suicide risk will advance suicide prediction and development of just-in-time interventions. Expected results will advance the field of suicide research by unifying conceptual models of the suicidal process with hierarchical dimensional models of psychopathology, identifying general vs. person-specific suicidogenic processes, and elucidating decision-making under cognitive demands representative of the suicidal crisis. In line with the NIMH’s prioritized research agenda on suicide, this work will address mechanisms of suicide risk, while investigating RDoC’s reinforcement learning and limited capacity constructs and thus bridging RDoC with hierarchical dimensional models of psychopathology.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $759,725 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	4200 FIFTH AVENUE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	32	1/16/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$759,725
														Subtotal = $759,725

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $764,605 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	4200 FIFTH AVENUE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	002	31	9/23/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$114,691
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	4200 FIFTH AVENUE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	31	1/28/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$649,914
2025	2021	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	4200 FIFTH AVENUE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	28	1/17/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $764,605

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $773,606 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	4200 FIFTH AVENUE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	30	5/7/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$773,606
														Subtotal = $773,606

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $807,652 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	4200 FIFTH AVENUE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	29	3/17/2023	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$807,652
2023	2021	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	4200 FIFTH AVENUE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	28	3/16/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $807,652

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $664,983 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, THE	4200 5TH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	28	6/9/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$664,983
														Subtotal = $664,983

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $674,216 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	27	5/18/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$674,216
														Subtotal = $674,216

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $680,295 )
2019	2019	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	26	5/29/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$680,295
														Subtotal = $680,295

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $711,826 )
2018	2018	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	25	5/22/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$711,826
2018	2016	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	23	2/2/2018	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$0
														Subtotal = $711,826

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $778,728 )
2017	2017	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	003	24	7/13/2017	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$778,728
2017	2016	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	23	11/25/2016	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$217,107
2017	2016	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	002	23	7/10/2017	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$0
2017	2015	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	22	11/25/2016	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$217,107
														Subtotal = $778,728

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $510,687 )
2016	2016	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	123 UNIVERSITY PLACE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	23	5/16/2016	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$510,687
														Subtotal = $510,687

Issue Date FY: 2015 ( Subtotal = $510,687 )
2015	2015	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	123 UNIVERSITY PLACE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	22	7/24/2015	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$510,687
														Subtotal = $510,687

Issue Date FY: 2014 ( Subtotal = $510,687 )
2014	2014	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	123 UNIVERSITY PLACE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	21	6/3/2014	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$510,687
														Subtotal = $510,687

Issue Date FY: 2013 ( Subtotal = $476,737 )
2013	2013	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	123 UNIVERSITY PLACE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	20	5/29/2013	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$476,737
														Subtotal = $476,737

Issue Date FY: 2012 ( Subtotal = $585,612 )
2012	2012	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	123 UNIVERSITY PLACE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	19	9/20/2012	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$585,612
2012	2011	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	123 UNIVERSITY PLACE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	18	9/7/2012	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $585,612

Issue Date FY: 2011 ( Subtotal = $458,065 )
2011	2011	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	123 UNIVERSITY PLACE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	18	5/26/2011	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$458,065
														Subtotal = $458,065

Issue Date FY: 2010 ( Subtotal = $448,457 )
2010	2010	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	123 UNIVERSITY PLACE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	17	6/24/2010	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$448,457
														Subtotal = $448,457

Issue Date FY: 2009 ( Subtotal = $442,027 )
2009	2009	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	123 UNIVERSITY PLACE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	16	6/30/2009	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$442,027
														Subtotal = $442,027

Issue Date FY: 2008 ( Subtotal = $417,352 )
2008	2008	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	3017 CATHEDRAL OF LEARNING	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	15	6/23/2008	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$417,352
														Subtotal = $417,352

Issue Date FY: 2007 ( Subtotal = $417,298 )
2007	2007	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	3017 CATHEDRAL OF LEARNING	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	14	5/17/2007	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$417,298
														Subtotal = $417,298

Issue Date FY: 2005 ( Subtotal = $473,215 )
2005	2005	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	3017 CATHEDRAL OF LEARNING	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	13	7/13/2005	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$473,215
														Subtotal = $473,215

Issue Date FY: 2004 ( Subtotal = $446,256 )
2004	2004	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH	3017 CATHEDRAL OF LEARNING	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	12	5/25/2004	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$446,256
														Subtotal = $446,256

Grand Total All Awards = $14,544,975

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Psychobiology of Suicidal Behavior in Borderline Personality Disorder

Award Number: R01MH048463

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/30/1992

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2028

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