Pediatricians Building Resilience for Toddler Well-Being
Official title: Pediatricians Building Resilience through early Identification for Toddler Well-Being
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11394445 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aiming to help toddlers at risk for mental health problems by identifying them in primary care and delivering family-based support through an online tool and telehealth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $343,848 |
| NIH project number | 5P50MH132502-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11394445 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young children (0-3) and their caregivers seen in primary pediatric settings who are at risk for mental health problems and are ready to engage with digital and telehealth support.
✕Less likely to help
Families without access to primary care or digital/telehealth resources may not experience direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project partners with pediatric primary care to screen very young children for mental health risk and connect families to preventive parenting support. It will create a smart risk calculator and a decision tool (DECIDE) tied to a digital FCUOnline program to guide care. Through telehealth and online delivery, clinicians and families receive practical, feasible steps to support toddler well-being in real primary care settings. The approach builds on evidence that parenting interventions improve child self-regulation and reduce risk for later problems. If successful, the program could be scaled to improve early mental health outcomes for many children in routine care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could improve early identification and prevention of mental health problems in toddlers and support families with accessible, science-based resources.
How similar studies have gone: Previous parenting interventions delivered through primary care have shown positive effects on parenting and child self-regulation, and this project adapts them into a scalable digital/telehealth format.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Justin D — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Smith, Justin D
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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.