To assess the prevalence and characteristics of registered suicide-related studies that have been discontinued.
Approach:
Data Collection: Queried ClinicalTrials.gov for studies registered between January 1, 1990, and April 22, 2026, using STB-specific keywords.
Study Screening: Excluded irrelevant studies and extracted data on study status, reasons for discontinuation, and design.
Qualitative Analysis: Coded investigator-reported reasons for discontinuation using qualitative thematic analysis.
Key Findings:
7.6% of suicide-related studies registered on ClinicalTrials.gov were discontinued.
57.1% of discontinued studies were terminated, 38.5% were withdrawn, and 4.4% were suspended.
Primary reasons for discontinuation included recruitment issues (28.6%), funding problems (19.8%), principal investigator-related considerations (8.8%), and COVID-19 interference (7.7%).
Interpretation:
Discontinuation rates for suicide-related studies are at the lower end of previously reported estimates, with no studies explicitly reporting discontinuation due to participant safety concerns.
Limitations:
Reliance on registry-reported data, which may be incomplete or inconsistently coded.
Studies varied widely in design and measurement approaches.
A portion of studies (11.4%) had an unknown status, potentially underestimating discontinued studies.
Conclusion:
Strengthening recruitment infrastructure and addressing ethical and regulatory challenges is essential for expanding the suicide prevention evidence base.
