Groundbreaking Project Analyzes Cell Phone Data from Individuals who Died by Suicide Revealing Unprecedented Insights

RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stop Soldier Suicide (SSS) has released the first findings from a pioneering data initiative aimed at transforming suicide prevention. Known as the Black Box Project^®, the effort analyzes cell phone data from individuals who died by suicide. By applying machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and custom algorithms, the project has uncovered behavioral patterns that precede suicide. It is the first initiative of its kind, and the powerful early results are detailed in a white paper released today by the organization.

"The publication of this white paper is a key inflection point for both SSS and the broader field of veteran suicide prevention," said Keith Hotle, CEO of Stop Soldier Suicide. "Using AI/ML and advanced data science, we've tapped into previously unknowable information about the most private moments of those we've lost. These insights are actionable and will ultimately lead to real-time intervention strategies."

These new insights are poised to enhance clinical practice to include more accurate assessments of suicide risk and therapeutic pathways for suicidal veterans.

Some of the key findings released in the Black Box Project^® white paper include:

• The ability to identify Known Moments of Risk (KMORs) that were invisible to the outside world,
• Objective understanding of the external facade often displayed by suicidal individuals,
• Confirmation that sleep pattern changes are a strong correlate to suicide risk,
• A strong signal that financial distress is a persistent stressor in the final year of life.

"We are excited to work with public and private partners, researchers, and other VSOs to accelerate our learnings and amplify our collective impact as an extension of this whitepaper," said SSS Chief Product Officer Austin Grimes. He continued, "Black Box Project^®' provides researchers with a view into suicide that's never been possible before. It's our best bet to build a deeper understanding of suicide and, ultimately, save more lives."

In 2003, Black Box Project® was named a first-place winner in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Mission Daybreak challenge, receiving a $3 million prize.

Key technology partners—including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Pariveda Solutions, Cellebrite, and Magnet Forensics—have played a critical role in establishing the technical infrastructure, data protocols, algorithms, and analysis leading to this landmark moment in the project's evolution.

This work would not be possible without the generous support of loss survivor families who entrusted SSS with their loved ones' devices. Their courage is transforming profound personal loss into life-saving knowledge for future families.

"Every device a family entrusts to the Black Box Project^® is a gift of love and courage. This white paper shows the profound impact those gifts have—not just on our understanding of suicide across all populations, but on shaping tools that can save lives," said Kim Burditt Bartlett, a loss survivor and Senior Manager of Family Engagement for Black Box Project^®.

To learn more about Stop Soldier Suicide visit www.StopSoldierSuicide.org.

To read the full white paper visit www.StopSoldierSuicide.org/whitepaper.

About Stop Soldier Suicide: Suicide is a complex problem that disproportionately impacts the military community. Stop Soldier Suicide is the only national nonprofit focused solely on solving the issue of suicide among U.S. veterans and service members. Our team is laser-focused on research and care that is specific to reducing veteran and service member suicide. Our vision is a nation where veterans and service members have no greater risk for suicide than any other American. We have an aggressive goal to reduce the military suicide rate by 40% no later than 2030.

About Black Box Project: Just as aviation's black boxes reveal the cascading factors that lead to crashes, this groundbreaking initiative seeks to understand the digital footprints that precede suicide, transforming profound loss into life-saving knowledge. By aggregating and analyzing information from these devices, researchers can identify behavioral patterns and warning signs that were previously invisible to clinicians and loved ones alike. Black Box Project® fills a critical gap that has plagued suicide research for decades – an unbiased view into the factors leading to a suicidal outcome.

For more information or media inquiries please contact:
Caitlyn Scaggs | National Director of Marketing & Communications
M: 910.556.5350 E: [email protected]

SOURCE Stop Soldier Suicide