Dr. Brent's Research

“If people ask why I work in this field, I say, ‘What could be more life-affirming than to try to help people realize their own value, and that we need them here?’"

- from "Unfinished Business" - Dr. Brent's 40 years of groundbreaking work in the field of youth suicide prevention is highlighted in the Winter 2025-26 Issue of Pitt Med Magazine.

Ongoing Studies:

• ETUDES Center
  • Enhancing Treatment and Utilization for Depression and Emergency Suicidality in Pediatric Primary Care (MH115838)

Co-Investigator (PI: Dr. Stephanie Stepp):

• HEART+ Study
  • ​Optimizing Suicide Prevention Strategies for Pediatric Primary Care with American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) Network (MH132932)

• BRITE 2.0, with Ksana Health
  • A Just-in-time Adaptive Intervention for Suicide Safety Planning in Adolescents (MH135605)

Completed Studies:

• ASAP 1 Study - Brief Intervention for Suicide Risk Reduction in High Risk Adolescents

• ASAP 2 Study - As Safe As Possible: Establishing Efficacy of an Inpatient Intervention and Phone App to Reduce Suicide Risk

• BCBT Study - Brief CBT for Pediatric Anxiety and Depression in Primary Care

• ED-STARS Study - Emergency Department Screen for Teens at Risk for Suicide

  • 24-Hour Risk for Suicide Attempts in a National Cohort of Adolescents

• ETUDES 1.0 - The Center for Enhancing Treatment and Utilization for Depression and Emergent Suicidality in Pediatric Primary Care (ETUDES Center)

• EASY Study - Harnessing Computerized Adaptive Testing, Transdiagnositic Theories of Suicidal Behavior, and Machine Learning to Advance the Emergent Assessment of Suicidal Youth

• FAMPATH Study - Familial Early-Onset Suicide Attempt

• IMPACT Study - Impact of Sudden Parental Death on Children and Families​

• MAPS Study - Mobile Assessment for the Prediction of Suicide

• Mining Electronic Health Record to Identify Patients at Imminent Risk for Suicide

• POD Study - Prevention of Depression

• TORDIA Study - Treatment of SSRI-Resistant Depression in Adolescents

• Y-CAT Study - A New Statistical Paradigm for Measuring Psychopathology Dimensions in Youth (Youth Computerized Adaptive Test)

Co-Investigator (PI, 2018-2020: Dr. Nadine Melham):

• FAMPATH BIO Study - Familial Early-Onset Suicide Attempt Biomarkers