Understanding how mothers' childhood hardships affect their children's mental health
Official title: Exploring Mechanisms Linking Maternal Childhood Adversity to Adolescent Psychopathology: The Role of Early Childhood Deprivation and Threat
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-10811371 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how tough experiences that mothers went through as kids can affect their teenagers' mental health, helping us understand the links between a mother's past and her child's feelings and behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 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 | August 7, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $225,306 |
| NIH project number | 1R21HD110824-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10811371 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children and adolescents whose mothers have reported experiencing childhood maltreatment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have a maternal history of childhood adversity may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how childhood maltreatment experienced by mothers can influence their children's mental health during adolescence. By analyzing existing data from the Family Life Project, the study aims to uncover the pathways that link maternal trauma to behavioral and emotional issues in their children. The research employs innovative models from developmental neuroscience to explore these connections, focusing on both externalizing and internalizing symptoms in adolescents. The findings could provide insights into the long-term effects of maternal adversity on child development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better understanding and interventions for children at risk of mental health issues due to their mothers' past experiences.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown significant links between maternal childhood adversity and offspring mental health, indicating that this approach is grounded in established findings.
Where this research is happening
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Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zvara, Bharathi J. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Zvara, Bharathi J.
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.