Helping South African children and teens build stronger emotion control and resilience
Resilient Emotion Regulation Development in a South African Birth Cohort
This project looks at how supportive experiences help children and teens in South Africa manage their emotions and develop stronger, more resilient brains.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia Univ New York Morningside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11138645 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of a long-term birth cohort in Cape Town where researchers follow children from before birth into adolescence. The team uses brain scans, detailed behavior testing, and thorough information about family and neighborhood experiences, and they work with the local community to guide the research. Advanced data analysis ties protective factors—like caregiving, schooling, or social supports—to patterns of brain development and emotion control. The goal is to explain why some young people do well despite early hardship and to suggest ways communities can better support youth mental health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are children and adolescents (and their caregivers) from the Cape Town birth cohort, especially those who experienced early-life adversity.
Not a fit: People who are not part of the Cape Town cohort, live far from the study sites, or are seeking immediate clinical treatment may not experience direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to practical supports and programs that help children avoid mental health problems and improve emotional coping.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies in high-income countries have linked protective experiences to better emotion regulation, but applying multimodal brain imaging and community-guided methods in a South African birth cohort is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia Univ New York Morningside — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tottenham, Nim — Columbia Univ New York Morningside
- Study coordinator: Tottenham, Nim
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.