Pregnancy-focused dialectical behavior skills to support two generations
Official title: Developing pregnancy-specific dialectical behavior therapy skills to promote multigenerational mental health
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11318875 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new program tests whether teaching pregnant people emotion-regulation skills can improve the health and well‑being of both the mother and her baby, from pregnancy through early infancy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,349,756 |
| NIH project number | 5R61MH138444-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11318875 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant individuals experiencing emotion dysregulation who are in the care of Duke University and eligible for participation during the prenatal period.
✕Less likely to help
Participants without emotion dysregulation or those outside the prenatal period may not experience direct benefits.
What this research studies
This project combines a group skills approach based on dialectical behavior therapy to address emotion dysregulation during pregnancy. It aims to see if improving maternal emotion regulation can lead to better infant neurobehavior and self-regulation at birth and around six months old. The study is designed as an R61/R33 transition to test feasibility and early effects in pregnant individuals and their infants. Researchers will monitor maternal responses and infant outcomes to determine if this prenatal intervention can prevent later emotional and behavioral difficulties. The work builds on data suggesting prenatal emotion regulation affects maternal physiology and infant behavior, and seeks to translate that into a pregnancy‑focused preventive strategy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could become a preventive intervention to promote healthier outcomes for both mothers and babies starting before birth.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links prenatal emotion regulation to infant outcomes, but this project tests a novel, pregnancy‑focused group skills program.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Conradt, Liz D — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Conradt, Liz 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.