A universal school program to help middle schoolers stay emotionally regulated and safer
Official title: Testing a Universal School-Based Program to Improve Emotional Regulation and Reduce Violence and Suicide Risk in Middle School Students: This project will conduct a randomized controlled trial.
Funded at National Opinion Research Center · NIH-11584072 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A school-based program teaches students calming skills to reduce violence and thoughts of self-harm, tested in a randomized trial with middle schoolers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | National Opinion Research Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2026 |
| Project end | September 29, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2027 |
| Award (this year) | $397,061 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CE003894-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11584072 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Middle school students in participating districts who would participate through their school setting.
✕Less likely to help
Students not enrolled in the participating classrooms or who opt out may not experience direct benefits.
What this research studies
This project tests HeartMath’s SBWH program in 72 classrooms across four middle schools to see if teaching heart-focused self-regulation can lower interpersonal violence and suicidality among students. The study uses random assignment to determine if the program works better than standard classroom activities, and it will look at effects both for individuals and for whole schools. Researchers will also track school-level outcomes like disciplinary actions, attendance, and academic performance to guide district decisions. The intervention focuses on practical skills to improve HRV, emotional control, and coping during stress. Results will be analyzed to understand if certain student groups benefit more than others.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, students may have fewer violent incidents and lower suicide risk, with schools gaining scalable prevention tools.
How similar studies have gone: Previous similar school-based self-regulation programs have shown promise, but this study provides rigorous randomized evidence in a real-world setting.
Where this research is happening
-
National Opinion Research Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mumford, Elizabeth a — National Opinion Research Center
- Study coordinator: Mumford, Elizabeth a
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.