Depression and social-emotional factors in teen girls with autism
Tracking Depression and Associated Modifiable Social-Emotional Factors in Adolescent Girls with Autism
This project follows adolescent girls with autism to learn how day-to-day social and emotional experiences relate to depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11311300 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be followed during adolescence so researchers can map how depression symptoms change over time and how social and emotional experiences affect those changes. The team will analyze existing datasets of 10–13-year-olds and then collect detailed longitudinal and momentary (daily) data to capture real-life interactions and feelings. Statistical models will be used to identify different depression symptom trajectories and the social-emotional factors linked to increased risk. The goal is to use these findings to inform development of treatments tailored for girls with autism.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Girls with autism spectrum disorder in early to mid-adolescence (roughly ages 10–18) who can complete questionnaires or daily diary-type measures are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Boys, adults, people without ASD, and girls with severe communication or cognitive impairments that prevent completing daily measures are less likely to benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify specific social or emotional targets for early interventions to prevent or reduce depression in girls with autism.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior studies link social and emotional difficulties to teen depression, but few have focused specifically on adolescent girls with autism, so this targeted approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Austin, United States
- University of Texas at Austin — Austin, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zheng, Shuting — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Zheng, Shuting
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 below.