Social stress and smoking: why disadvantaged young adults struggle to quit
Official title: The Impact of Social-Contextual Stressors on Psychopharmacological Mechanisms of Smoking Cessation and Relapse among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Young Adults who Smoke Cigarettes
Funded at Medical University of South Carolina · NIH-11540695 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant looks at how daily social stress affects if and when disadvantaged young adults who smoke can quit and stay quit.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00DA060983-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11540695 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are socioeconomically disadvantaged young adults who smoke cigarettes and are transitioning into young adulthood.
✕Less likely to help
Some participants may not experience immediate benefit if stressors do not disrupt their quit attempts.
What this research studies
The project focuses on socioeconomically disadvantaged young adults who smoke and follows their real-life experiences to see how daily stressors influence quitting and relapse. It combines interviews about lived experiences with real-time data collection to capture day-to-day changes in stress. By linking social-contextual factors to smoking behavior, it aims to identify moments when support could help a quit attempt succeed. The study is led by the Medical University of South Carolina and centers on participants’ everyday lives in real-world settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform tailored supports that help SDYA quit smoking and reduce relapse.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows social factors influence smoking behavior, but real-time EMA approaches in this population are newer and promising.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bello, Mariel Seanne Mercado — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Bello, Mariel Seanne Mercado
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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.