Peripubertal Social Motivation and Risk for Suicidal Thoughts in Preteen Girls
Official title: Peripubertal Social Motivation as a Novel Risk Factor Linking Childhood Threat Exposure and Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in Preteen Girls.
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11362734 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how social motivation and puberty-related changes may raise suicide risk in preteen girls, with potential ideas for earlier identification and help.
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 | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $612,925 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH137698-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362734 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Preteen girls (approximately late prepubertal to early pubertal stages) with varied exposure to childhood threat and diverse backgrounds.
✕Less likely to help
Personal safety networks and supports may not change for some participants if the study findings do not translate into immediate interventions for them.
What this research studies
The project focuses on preteen girls to understand how their desire to connect with peers and pubertal changes influence risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It plans to refine assessments of social motivation and suicide-related thoughts, then test whether maladaptive social motivation contributes to risk, especially in those with earlier pubertal timing. By following diverse participants, the study aims to identify early risk factors that precede later biological sensitivity to stress. This work could guide earlier screening and targeted interventions to keep preteen girls safe during a vulnerable developmental window.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could improve early detection of suicide risk in preteen girls and inform prevention efforts tailored to social and developmental factors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has linked social factors and puberty to emotional risk; this project extends that by focusing on preadolescents and refining assessments for broader applicability.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baldelli, Andrea Pelletier — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Baldelli, Andrea Pelletier
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Investigating how social motivation affects suicidal thoughts in preteen girls exposed to childhood threats.
This study is looking at how social feelings and experiences can affect thoughts about suicide in preteen girls who have faced tough situations, like violence, to help find better ways to support those who might be struggling as they grow up.
-
Understanding Social Connections and Past Threats to Prevent Suicide in Preteen Girls
This project explores how social interactions and difficult childhood experiences might contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors in preteen girls.
-
Motivation for Alcohol Use in Humans and How It Can Be Measured
This grant explores how people are motivated to drink alcohol and tests a safe, controlled way to study that motivation to inform better treatments for alcohol use disorder.
-
Effects of ADT on motivation and emotion in prostate cancer patients
This project looks at how androgen deprivation therapy may affect motivation and mood over time in men with prostate cancer.
-
Targeted online suicide prevention for Veterans
A web-based, one-session intervention for Veterans to reduce thoughts of suicide and self-harm by helping them manage distress and rigid thinking.
-
A brief, scalable module to help reduce suicidal thoughts in youth
A small, quick intervention module will be tested to help 12-year-olds who are experiencing suicidal thoughts feel safer and less burdened, using an accessible approach that could fit into regular care.
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.