Testing if friends help adolescents better manage emotions

Social Facilitation of Emotion Regulation in Adolescence

NA · University of California, Los Angeles · NCT06458920

This study tests if having a friend helps teenagers handle their emotions better than trying to manage them on their own.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment100 (estimated)
Ages13 Years to 25 Years
SexAll
SponsorUniversity of California, Los Angeles (other)
Locations1 site (Los Angeles, California)
Trial IDNCT06458920 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This project aims to investigate whether adolescents can more effectively regulate their emotions with the assistance of a friend compared to doing it alone. The study involves participants completing a psychology experiment while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe brain activity. Adolescents and adults will be shown upsetting images and will either receive support from a friend or manage their emotions independently. The research will compare the effectiveness of social versus cognitive emotion regulation strategies.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are adolescents aged 13-15 and young adults aged 20-25 who are proficient in English.

Not a fit: Patients with auditory, visual, or cognitive impairments, or those with health conditions contraindicated for MRI, may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could provide insights into more effective emotion regulation strategies for adolescents, potentially improving mental health outcomes.

How similar studies have performed: While the specific approach of using friends for emotion regulation in adolescents is novel, similar studies have shown promise in understanding social influences on emotional processing.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Adolescent participants must be 13-15 year of age
* Adult participants must be 20-25 years of age
* Proficient in English

Exclusion Criteria:

* Auditory, visual or cognitive impairment
* Any health conditions that are contraindicated for MRI

Where this trial is running

Los Angeles, California

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Emotion Regulation

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.