How friendships in childhood may relate to future personality issues.
Official title: Dysfunctional behavior with friends during middle childhood as a precursor to borderline personality pathology - Supplement
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11062145 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how kids' friendships might affect their chances of developing borderline personality disorder as they grow up, and it's for children aged 6 to 11 and their moms to help us learn more about early signs of mental health challenges.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $53,999 |
| NIH project number | 3K01MH131755-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11062145 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 6 to 11 years who have friendships and their mothers.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the age range of 6 to 11 years or those without established friendships may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the relationship between children's friendships and the potential development of borderline personality disorder as they grow older. It focuses on children aged 6 to 11 years and aims to collect data from child-friend pairs along with their mothers. The study will involve recruiting participants and gathering information through in-person interactions, which will help understand early behavioral patterns that could indicate future mental health challenges. The research is designed to continue smoothly even during critical life events for the lead researcher.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to early interventions that help prevent the development of borderline personality disorder in children.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promising results in understanding childhood behaviors as precursors to later personality disorders, making this approach both relevant and potentially impactful.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vanwoerden, Salome — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Vanwoerden, Salome
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.