Social Media and AI Exposure in Preteen Girls: Implications for Changes to Social Motivation and Depression 2026 Award: $240,000 Social media and artificial intelligence is increasingly part of daily life for today’s youth.  Despite ongoing research, we still do not know who is most vulnerable to negative effects of use and how use may shape development. Most kids get their first smartphone by age 12, making the preteen years the pivotal window of time to understand how independent use begins and may influence development of social behavior and mental well-being. Need/Problem: Youth are increasingly living in a digital world with most kids getting their own smartphone by age 12. The preteen years are very important for healthy social development and long-term well-being. Identifying how social media and artificial intelligence exposure may influence social motivation and risk for depression will [...]

Generative AI Use and Cognitive Mechanisms in the Psychosis Risk Continuum: A Multi-Method Longitudinal Study 2026 Award: $299,140 As generative AI becomes a common source of mental health support for young adults, concerns are growing about its potential risks – especially among individuals at elevated risk for psychosis. This project will investigate how young adults with psychotic-like experiences use AI tools like chatbots, and which patterns of genAI interactions are linked with positive and negative mental health outcomes over time. By identifying these patterns, this research aims to guide safer and more beneficial use of these rapidly emerging technologies. Need/Problem: Young adults increasingly use generative AI (genAI) tools for mental health support, yet these platforms are not designed for therapeutic use and lack safety guardrails. Individuals experiencing psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) may be vulnerable, as emerging reports suggest some uses [...]

The Long Arm of Grief: A Longitudinal Study of Mental Health and Support-Seeking Among Bereaved Parents and Children 2025 Award: $99,600 How do families adjust years after the devastating loss of a parent? Special emphasis will be placed on understanding the long-term implications of loss due to suicide. This study follows widowed parents to explore how grief, mental health, and caregiving evolve, while also examining how children’s well-being influences parents’ healing—and vice versa. By uncovering these long-term dynamics, the research aims to inform more effective support for bereaved families. Need/Problem: Each year, many children lose a parent, and surviving caregivers are left to cope with intense grief while supporting their families. Families bereaved by suicide face even greater challenges, including stigma, isolation, and difficulty accessing support services. Yet there is almost no research tracking how these families adjust in [...]

Neural Networks Underlying Preteen Social Motivation: A novel risk factor for preteen suicide 2025 Award: $200,000 Why do some preteen girls become vulnerable to suicide while others don’t, even when they face similar social stress? This first of its kind study will use brain scans, hormone data, and behavioral assessments to explore how the timing of puberty affects brain development and suicide risk. By identifying early warning signs, we aim to support earlier, more effective interventions to protect youth mental health. Need/Problem: Youth suicide is a leading cause of death, with many preteens experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, especially in response to interpersonal stress. However, it remains unclear why only some youth are vulnerable despite widespread exposure to stress. There is a critical need to identify early developmental risk factors—like the timing of puberty—that may influence brain development and [...]

Identifying Novel Biological Profiles of Early Risk and Intervention for Mood Disorders in Adolescents: Mapping Stress-Responsive Changes in Electrocortical Indices in Adolescent Anhedonia 2024 Award: $74,802 Research shows that interpersonal stress increases risk for anhedonia, yet, not all adolescents who are exposed to interpersonal stress go on to experience anhedonia. Therefore, there is a critical need to understand which youth are most likely to experience anhedonia in the context of interpersonal stress. This study will integrate neural and physiological assessments to create novel biological profiles of stress responsivity and will examine whether these profiles can be used to predict adolescent anhedonia. Findings will serve as pilot data for future grants leveraging these biological profiles to improve early risk detection and treatment of adolescent anhedonia. Need/Problem: Anhedonia, the inability to experience or anticipate pleasure, is a core depression symptom that [...]

Identifying Modifiable Risk Factors Associated with Suicidality in Adolescents Following Acute Psychiatric Hospitalization 2024 Award: $78,000 Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among adolescents, and some of the most vulnerable adolescents are those requiring acute mental health care. The rate of suicide in the 3 months following a psychiatric hospitalization is up to 100 times that of the general population, but despite this heightened risk, little is known about the ways in which modifiable factors of hospitalization impact suicidal thoughts and behaviors following discharge from the hospital. The present study will leverage the creation of UNC Youth Behavioral Health, a psychiatric facility for adolescents, to examine the ways in which underlying risk factors, course of hospitalization, and patient perceptions of hospitalization impact clinical outcomes in the three months following discharge among individuals who initially presented with suicidal [...]

Identifying Treatment Targets for Children of Mothers Who Experienced Sexual Violence 2023 Award: $199,000 Children whose caregivers have been exposed to trauma are at high risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this project, we will examine the factors that increase risk for and the factors that protect against the onset of PTSD among offspring of trauma-exposed caregivers. Findings from this study will support future work to develop novel programs to prevent and treat youth PTSD. Need/Problem: Children whose caregivers are exposed to severe trauma are at high risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most research focuses on the adult who was exposed to trauma, and scarce research has examined when and how caregiver PTSD may lead to offspring PTSD. Thus, there is limited understanding of how to prevent and intervene in the development of PTSD in [...]