How School Environments Shape Youth Mental Health
Official title: School Environment Drivers of Youth Mental Health Trajectories
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11575316 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how primary school settings affect the mental health of children in the United States and Tanzania to find ways schools can support well-being.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | July 10, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $315,173 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH131675-03S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11575316 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children in early schooling (0-11 years) and older youth (up to 21+ years) in settings with limited access to mental health services, including Tanzania and the U.S.
✕Less likely to help
Students in environments with already strong supports or those not experiencing adversity may see smaller benefits.
What this research studies
This project follows children over time to see how school environments influence their mental health, using multiple informants (like teachers and parents) to measure the school climate. It will create and test simple, relatable measures that describe a school’s support, safety, and learning environment. If successful, findings could guide schools to foster resilience and reduce anxiety and depression among students, especially where adversity is common.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the study identifies key school factors that protect mental health, schools could adopt these practices to help students feel safer, more supported, and less stressed.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests school environments influence youth mental health, but longitudinal multi-informant measures in high-adversity settings are limited and novel here.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reyes, H. Luz Mcnaughton — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Reyes, H. Luz Mcnaughton
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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.