Childhood adversity and teen substance use: how mood and feelings influence risky choices
Official title: Childhood adversity and substance use: Integrating laboratory and ecological approaches to understand the role of affect
Funded at Miriam Hospital · NIH-11392988 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A psychologist is studying how tough early life experiences affect teens’ chances of using substances, focusing on how feelings and mood may link adversity to later use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Miriam Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $186,484 |
| NIH project number | 5K08DA056697-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392988 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents and young adults who have experienced childhood adversity and are at risk for substance use.
✕Less likely to help
Teens without exposure to adversity or those not at risk for substance use may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports a career development path for a clinician-scientist who will study how affect (feelings) shapes the link between childhood adversity and substance use in adolescents. It uses a mix of lab techniques (like eye tracking and physiological measures) and real-world observation to understand why some teens with ACEs start or avoid using substances. The goal is to build stronger, evidence-based approaches to prevention and intervention that consider emotional processes in adolescence. Training includes mentorship, courses, and hands-on experience to foster independence as a researcher focused on adolescent risk and resilience.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to personalized prevention strategies that address emotional factors to reduce teen substance use.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has linked ACEs to higher risk of substance use, with growing evidence that affective processes mediate this risk.
Where this research is happening
-
Miriam Hospital
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brown, Shaquanna a. — Miriam Hospital
- Study coordinator: Brown, Shaquanna 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.