Rejection sensitivity and puberty: how social media affects mental health in early-adolescent girls
Official title: Rejection Sensitivity and Puberty in Mental Health Vulnerability to Social Media Experiences in Early Adolescent Girls
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11385263 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows a group of 250 girls aged 10–11 to see how online rejection experiences and puberty timing relate to changes in mood and mental health over three years.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | September 4, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $985,576 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH135480-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11385263 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are girls aged 10–11 at baseline who are willing to participate in longitudinal surveys, hormonal assessments, and frequent in-the-moment reporting.
✕Less likely to help
There may be limited direct benefit for girls outside the 10–13 age range or those who decline participation; some may experience no noticeable changes in mental health.
What this research studies
We will track mental health, social media use, rejection sensitivity, and hormone levels in a community sample of preteen girls. The study uses frequent micro-EMAs (8 times per day for 14 days) to capture real-time social media experiences and feelings. Over three yearly assessments, we’ll examine how puberty timing and online interactions influence depression, anxiety, and social stress, aiming to identify factors that worsen or buffer risk. This research could help parents, clinicians, and educators understand when and how social media may affect vulnerable youth.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform targeted guidance for families and schools to support girls during puberty as social media use evolves.
How similar studies have gone: Previous similar efforts have begun to show links between puberty, social media experiences, and mental health, but this specific micro-EMA, longitudinal design is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Whalen, Diana J — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Whalen, Diana J
Related research
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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.