Funding for research on the suicidal process to develop individualised support during suicidal crises
Researchers from Karolinska Institutet, Region Stockholm and Region Jönköping have been awarded a project grant of 5,995,000 SEK from Forte to conduct a four-year research project aimed at improving knowledge about the temporal dynamics of the suicidal process and developing an intervention for individualized support during suicidal crises.
Traditional suicide risk assessments and interventions are usually based on so-called distal risk factors, which are risk factors that affect a person's risk for suicide but are stable and often long-term, such as psychiatric diagnoses and socioeconomic factors. Since these risk factors are temporally stable and often temporally distant from the attempt, they provide limited information about when a suicide attempt or suicidal crisis might actually occur. More research is needed regarding proximal risk factors and triggering factors to gain an understanding of how the suicidal process changes over time in individuals.
Support during suicidal crises in real time
The project "Right thing at the right time: Using the dynamics of the suicide process for immediate and individualized intervention in suicidal crises" aims to improve knowledge about the suicidal process, more specifically the temporal sequences, and based on that knowledge develop a so-called "Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention" (JITAI) that will be able to provide individualized support during suicidal crises in real time.
"We are incredibly happy and proud of the funding for this project. The project will contribute to filling a clear knowledge gap in the field, and through this knowledge we aim to develop a digital-intervention model that hopefully helps suicidal individuals," says Gergö Hadlaczky, principal investigator and head of operations at the National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP) at Region Stockholm and adjunct associate professor at the Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (LIME) at Karolinska Institutet.
Combines interviews, data collection and prototype development
The project runs from 2025–2029 and consists of three parts. The first part includes an interview study with participants with lived experience of suicidal crises and crisis intervention personnel to gain a better understanding of proximal risk factors and triggers. The second part consists of a mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to collect data on suicidal thoughts and intentions, as well as measure proximal risk factors. Participants are recruited from clinics in Region Stockholm and Region Jönköping as well as through helplines. The third part consists of developing a mobile-based JITAI prototype that will be able to provide immediate support during suicidal crises, whose usability and effectiveness will be evaluated through user testing and focus groups.
The project will be conducted by researchers from Karolinska Institutet, Region Stockholm and Region Jönköping with extensive experience in suicide research, e-health technologies, and qualitative and quantitative methods. The project is supported by established collaborations with several stakeholders, including groups with lived experience, healthcare services, and emergency care.