September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month — an opportunity to have conversations about mental health and suicide to get at solutions and reduce the stigma around the topic. We’re starting with a look at new research that is using brain scans to potentially develop precision treatments for suicidal thoughts.

In her August 2019 article for Science Magazine, Northern California-based journalist Emily Underwood explored and explained this emerging research into the neurological indicators of depression and suicidal thoughts. By better understanding the brains of suicidal people, researchers hope to develop more effective and targeted treatments.

In her article, Underwood said the Stanford Research on Anxiety and Depression-Anhedonia Treatment (RAD-AT) study is a leader in these efforts. She also talked with one participant in the study who hasn’t benefited from traditional psychiatric treatment for his depression. Underwood joins Insight to discuss her story and dive deeper into the science.