Attentional biases and risk for depression in children of mothers with depression
Official title: Attentional Biases for Affective Cues as a Mechanism of Risk in Children of Depressed Mothers
Funded at State University of Ny,binghamton · NIH-11323019 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how kids’ attention to emotional cues, especially sad faces, may influence their risk of developing depression if their mothers have a history of the disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of Ny,binghamton NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Binghamton, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $654,122 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH130397-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323019 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and young people whose mothers have a history of major depressive disorder, spanning ages from early childhood through young adulthood.
✕Less likely to help
Participants without a maternal history of depression or those not experiencing mood-related risks may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
If a parent has depression, their child may be more likely to develop depression themselves. The study follows children across different ages to see how they process facial emotions and whether attention to sad faces changes as they grow. Researchers will track attentional patterns and relate them to depression risk, with implications for early prevention. The goal is to understand how emotion processing links to intergenerational risk so that families can be supported earlier.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these attention patterns could lead to earlier interventions to reduce depression risk in children of depressed mothers.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show attentional biases to emotional faces in at-risk youth, supporting the potential relevance of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of Ny,binghamton
Binghamton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gibb, Brandon E — State University of Ny,binghamton
- Study coordinator: Gibb, Brandon E
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.