Meditation app to help substance use, sexual health, and emotion control for legally involved youth
Official title: Effectiveness and Implementation of a Meditation App addressing Substance Use, Sexual Health, and Emotion Regulation among Legal-Involved Youth
Funded at University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11362478 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A smartphone mindfulness app is being tested to help youths on probation manage substance use, sexual health risks, and feelings in healthy, everyday settings.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $663,428 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA061795-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362478 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Youth on probation who own a smartphone and have access to Android or iOS devices.
✕Less likely to help
Youth not on probation or without access to a smartphone may not benefit from this specific app-based approach.
What this research studies
This project builds on a prior pilot with youth on probation to see whether a daily mindfulness meditation app can be feasibly used and kept up over time. It will recruit legally involved youth and guide them through a structured mindfulness program delivered entirely via an Android/iPhone app. The study will track daily app use, substance use problems, sexual risk behaviors, and emotion regulation while youths are in real-world probation settings. If the app helps youths stay healthier and more able to regulate emotions, it could become a scalable tool embedded in probation services.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could reduce substance use and risky sexual behaviors among youth on probation and improve emotion regulation in daily life.
How similar studies have gone: Prior pilot data showed good engagement and signals of benefit, supporting further testing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kendall, Ashley D. — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Kendall, Ashley D.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Emotion Regulation Help for Youth in Child Welfare to Prevent Substance Use
A tablet-based program helps early adolescents in the child welfare system learn emotion regulation skills to reduce future substance use.
-
A Meditation App for Youth in the Legal System
This project is exploring if a meditation app can help young people involved with the legal system manage their emotions, reduce substance use, and improve sexual health.
-
Helping youth in the child welfare system manage their emotions to prevent substance use
This study is testing a friendly program called iTRAC that helps young people who have faced tough situations learn how to manage their emotions better, so they can avoid turning to drugs or alcohol.
-
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Co-treated care for substance use and heart infection at UVMMC
A hospital-based project aims to improve how doctors and teams treat people with both substance use disorder and infective endocarditis during their hospital stay.
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Preventing Suicide Among Teens Who Use Substances in School Settings
Aims to see if how schools respond to substance-use incidents (like alcohol or drugs) can lower suicide risk among high‑risk students.
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.