How texting among friends affects teenagers' emotional well-being
Official title: Teenagers and texting: A multimethod examination of social support in adolescent friends' text messages and associations with adjustment
Funded at University of Missouri-Columbia · NIH-11164316 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how teenagers support each other through text messages and how that affects their feelings and friendships, so if you're a teen interested in how chatting with friends can help with emotions, this research is for you!
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Missouri-Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2025 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $41,085 |
| NIH project number | 1F31MH138094-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11164316 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents aged 12 to 20 who actively communicate with friends via text messaging.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not within the age range of 12 to 20 or do not engage in texting as a form of communication may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the ways in which adolescent friends provide social support to each other through text messages and how these interactions impact their emotional health and friendship quality. By analyzing text conversations, the study aims to identify specific support behaviors, such as the use of emojis and response times, and their associations with issues like depressive symptoms. The research will involve collecting data from pairs of adolescent friends to better understand the dynamics of digital communication and its effects on mental health during adolescence.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved understanding of how digital communication among friends can enhance emotional support and well-being for teenagers.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that social support is crucial for adolescent mental health, but this specific focus on digital communication is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Spiekerman, Allie Michelle — University of Missouri-Columbia
- Study coordinator: Spiekerman, Allie Michelle
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.