Adolescents, Social Media, and Teen Mental Health
Official title: Adolescents' Social Media Use and Internalizing Symptoms: Mechanisms of Risk and Resilience
Funded at Rhode Island Hospital · NIH-11413523 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study with teens ages 13-16 will look at how social media use relates to feelings of anxiety and depression over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rhode Island Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | August 20, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $818,106 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH137444-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11413523 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are youths aged 13-16 with a range of internalizing symptoms who use social media.
✕Less likely to help
Teens who do not use social media or who have severe conditions may derive limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
We will enroll about 200 diverse adolescents aged 13-16 and follow them for 18 months with check-ins every 6 months. Participants will complete online surveys and undergo a real-time eye-tracking task that simulates social media interactions to see how they respond to peers online. A youth advisory board will help guide the project and ensure teens’ perspectives are heard. The study aims to uncover concrete ways that social media experiences may contribute to or protect against internalizing symptoms, using both behavioral and self-report data.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could inform safer social media practices and mental health supports for teens.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research suggests links between social media use and mental health, but this project adds experimental, real-time data to identify mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Rhode Island Hospital
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nesi, Jacqueline — Rhode Island Hospital
- Study coordinator: Nesi, Jacqueline
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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.