Study of 23,769 Patients Finds Brain-Based Warning Signs May Appear Months to Years Before Death

COSTA MESA, Calif., June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — After a suicide, families are often left with the same heartbreaking question:

Why didn’t we know?

Families often sense that something is wrong. The challenge is knowing who is truly at risk, how urgent that risk may be, and when intervention is needed.

Now, new research suggests there may be a way to identify warning signs much earlier.

A study presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) found that brain SPECT imaging may help identify people at elevated risk for suicide months, and in some cases years, before death occurs.

Researchers analyzed brain scans from 23,769 patients and followed them for as long as 15 years. During that time, 178 individuals died by suicide.

The findings were striking.

More than 8 out of 10 people who later died by suicide were identified as high risk six to 24 months before their deaths.

The findings raise an important question:

What if more people could receive help before a crisis occurs?

The research suggests that suicide risk may not simply emerge in a single moment. Instead, measurable changes in brain function may be present long before someone reaches their darkest point—creating potential opportunities for earlier intervention and support.

“What gives me hope about this research is the possibility that one day we may be able to identify risk earlier and provide help sooner,” said Daniel Amen, MD, founder of Amen Clinics and a psychiatrist who has spent more than three decades studying the relationship between brain health and mental health.

“After a suicide, families often replay every conversation, every text message, and every moment wondering what they missed. The reality is that many people struggle silently, while others show signs that can be difficult to interpret. If we can identify risk earlier and intervene sooner, we have the potential to save lives.”

The study was led by Dr. David Bryant Keator, Chief Research Officer of the Change Your Brain Foundation.

Researchers found that suicide risk was associated with widespread patterns of brain activity involving regions responsible for emotional regulation, impulse control, self-awareness, and decision-making. Rather than a single area of the brain, risk appeared to involve interconnected brain networks that influence how people think, feel, and respond to stress.

The findings also highlight one of the biggest challenges in suicide prevention today: the lack of objective biological tools.

Current suicide risk assessments rely heavily on patient interviews, self-reported symptoms, and clinical judgment. While these approaches remain essential, researchers believe biological markers may eventually provide additional information to help identify people who need support before a crisis unfolds.

“This is not about replacing clinicians,” Dr. Amen said. “It’s about giving them more information.”

“In every other area of medicine, we look at the organ we’re trying to help. If someone has chest pain, we examine the heart. If someone has breathing problems, we look at the lungs. When people are suffering emotionally, it makes sense to better understand what’s happening in the brain.”

Amen Clinics has long advocated for a brain-health approach to mental wellness, based on the findings that emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and mental health challenges are deeply connected to brain function. For more than 35 years, Amen Clinics has worked to change the conversation from mental illness to brain health, helping people find answers, hope, and personalized paths to healing.

Researchers caution that additional studies are needed before brain imaging could become a routine tool for suicide prediction. Still, experts say the findings represent an important step toward a future where suicide prevention may become more proactive, personalized, and effective.

This research offers something that has been desperately needed in the field for decades:

Hope.

Hope that suffering can be identified earlier.

Hope that intervention can happen sooner.

Hope that more people can get help before they reach a crisis.

And hope that one day fewer families will be left asking, “Why didn’t we know?”

About Amen Clinics

Amen Clinics is a nationwide network of brain health centers founded by Daniel G. Amen, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist, physician, researcher, and bestselling author. For more than 35 years, Amen Clinics has pioneered a brain-health approach to mental wellness, helping patients better understand the connection between brain function and emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and mental health challenges. With 11 clinics across the United States the world’s largest database of brain SPECT scans related to behavior, Amen Clinics is dedicated to changing the conversation from mental illness to brain health.

Media Contact:

Jordyn Dean

Publicist, Amen Clinics

jordyn.dean@amenclinics.com

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SOURCE Amen Clinics, Inc.