Emotion Regulation Help for Youth in Child Welfare to Prevent Substance Use
Official title: Emotion Regulation Intervention to Prevent Substance Use Among Youth in the Child Welfare System
Funded at Rhode Island Hospital · NIH-11454632 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A tablet-based program helps early adolescents in the child welfare system learn emotion regulation skills to reduce future substance use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rhode Island Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $920,461 |
| NIH project number | 4R33DA059785-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11454632 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Early adolescents (roughly ages 9–14) in the child welfare system with maltreatment histories who have access to tablet-based intervention.
✕Less likely to help
Youth without maltreatment histories or those not engaged in the child welfare system may not benefit from this specific ER program.
What this research studies
This project uses a tablet-based emotion regulation (ER) skills program called iTRAC to reach youths in the child welfare system who have histories of maltreatment. It aims to deliver easily accessible, low-resource ER training to prevent substance use as these youths grow older. The study builds on prior findings that improving ER can lower risk by increasing emotional awareness and the use of adaptive strategies, and it plans to test feasibility and impact in real-world child welfare settings. The approach is designed to fit within the resources and constraints of child welfare agencies and to be acceptable to youth, caregivers, and system staff.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce the likelihood of substance use in vulnerable youths by teaching practical ER skills through a scalable tablet-based tool.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work showed feasibility and positive effects on ER and emotional self-efficacy in urban adolescents using similar digital ER approaches.
Where this research is happening
-
Rhode Island Hospital
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Houck, Christopher D. — Rhode Island Hospital
- Study coordinator: Houck, Christopher D.
Related research
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Helping youth in the child welfare system manage their emotions to prevent substance use
This study is testing a friendly program called iTRAC that helps young people who have faced tough situations learn how to manage their emotions better, so they can avoid turning to drugs or alcohol.
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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.