How early childhood stress affects depression risk in teens and young adults
Psychobiological Mechanisms Underlying the Association Between Early Life Stress and Depression Across Adolescence
This project follows young people who experienced early-life stress to link changes in the brain, hormones, immune system, and behavior with risk for depression and suicidal thoughts during adolescence and into early adulthood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11305255 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We enrolled 220 children aged 9–13 and collected repeated measures of symptoms, diagnoses, brain function, hormone responses, immune markers, cognition, and behavior at four visits spaced two years apart. Researchers carefully recorded the type, timing, and severity of early-life adversity to relate those experiences to stress reactivity and reward sensitivity over time. In this renewal they will bring participants back around age 20 to examine how earlier changes predict mental health and suicidal behaviors in young adulthood. Participation typically involves interviews, questionnaires, lab visits for brain imaging and blood draws, and cognitive testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents or young adults with histories of early-life adversity who can attend clinical visits, undergo brain imaging, and provide biological samples.
Not a fit: People without a history of early adversity or those unable or unwilling to complete imaging or biological sample collection are less likely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal early biological signs of depression risk that help target prevention and personalized treatments for adolescents and young adults.
How similar studies have performed: Previous papers from this cohort and other studies have linked early adversity to altered brain development and stress biology, though extending observations into the early 20s is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gotlib, Ian H — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Gotlib, Ian H
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.