Understanding Street Experiences and Emotions to Prevent Drug Use in Homeless Youth
Street Experiences, Affect, and Coping: Harnessing Computational Models for the Development of a Cellphone-Based Intervention to Prevent Drug Use among Youth Experiencing Homelessness
This project aims to create a cellphone app that helps young people experiencing homelessness manage their emotions and avoid drug use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Lincoln NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lincoln, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11091598 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Young people experiencing homelessness often face significant challenges like victimization, poor mental health, and risky social circles, which can lead to drug and alcohol use as a way to cope. This project seeks to understand how these street experiences and emotions are connected to coping behaviors, both positive and negative. By using computational models, researchers hope to identify key factors that influence drug use. The goal is to develop a mobile app that offers support and strategies to help these youth cope in healthier ways and reduce their risk of substance use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is designed for young people experiencing homelessness who may be at risk for or currently engaging in drug and alcohol use.
Not a fit: Patients who are not young, not experiencing homelessness, or not at risk for substance use would likely not directly benefit from this specific intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could provide a new, accessible tool to help young people experiencing homelessness reduce drug use and improve their overall well-being and health outcomes, including lowering HIV risk.
How similar studies have performed: While the specific cellphone-based intervention is novel, previous research has shown that understanding the links between risk factors, emotions, and coping is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Where this research is happening
Lincoln, United States
- University of Nebraska Lincoln — Lincoln, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tyler, Kimberly a — University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Study coordinator: Tyler, Kimberly a
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 below.