How peer friendships affect kids' pain and recovery
Official title: Risk, Resilience, and Recovery: A Longitudinal Mixed-Method Study Examining the Role of Peer Relationships in Pediatric Pain
Funded at Washington State University · NIH-11322625 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows 450 early adolescents (ages 11–14) who have recent acute pain to track how their friendships and peer support relate to whether their pain improves, worsens, or persists.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pullman, United States) |
| Project start | August 7, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $556,421 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD111882-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11322625 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are early adolescents (about 11–14 years old) who are seeking treatment for a recent acute pain problem and can complete daily surveys and periodic study visits.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the 11–14 age range, those with long-standing chronic pain, or families unwilling to complete daily surveys and follow-up visits may not gain direct benefit from this study.
What this research studies
If your child is 11–14 and has been treated for an acute pain problem, researchers will follow them over time and collect daily reports about pain, sleep, mood, and interactions with friends. You may be asked to complete short daily surveys, attend periodic clinic visits, and take part in interviews or questionnaires about social support and peer victimization. The team combines real-time diary data with longer-term follow-ups to see which peer difficulties predict ongoing pain and which positive friendships help teens recover. The study aims to pinpoint social factors that could be changed to help reduce lasting pain in young people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to new ways to strengthen friendships and peer support that reduce long-term pain and disability for adolescents.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows links between social and physical pain, but prospective, daily, and longitudinal studies in early adolescents are limited, making this approach relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington State University
Pullman, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fales, Jessica L — Washington State University
- Study coordinator: Fales, Jessica L
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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.