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Sleep Disruption, Difficulties Inhibiting Attention to Negative Stimuli, and Risk for Depression in Adolescence

Award Number: F31MH143504
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/27/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/26/2028

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Sleep Disruption, Difficulties Inhibiting Attention to Negative Stimuli, and Risk for Depression in Adolescence - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Epidemiological research suggests that up to 20% of adolescents have experienced at least one episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) in their lives and that rates of depression among this group are increasing. To address this, research is needed to identify modifiable risk factors that can be targeted to reduce risk of depression in this age group. There is growing evidence that sleep disturbance is both a symptom of, and risk factor for, depression in adolescents. Across studies, there is support for decreased sleep duration, worse sleep quality, delayed sleep timing, and decreased sleep regularity prospectively predicting depressive symptoms among adolescents. What remains unclear are the mechanisms by which sleep disruptions might increase depression risk in adolescents. One promising potential mechanism of risk is the impact on adolescents’ ability to inhibit attention to depression-relevant stimuli. Although no studies have tested this specifically, there is clear evidence that sleep disruption and depression risk are both associated with related constructs including higher levels of repetitive negative thinking and rumination, as well as biases in attention toward depression-relevant stimuli. The proposed study will provide a fine-grained examination of links between specific forms of sleep disruption, measured via actigraphy and self-report measures, and deficits in adolescents’ ability to inhibit attention to depression-relevant stimuli, directly assessed via steady-state visually evoked potentials (ssVEPS) derived from encephalography (EEG). Primary Aim 1 is to determine whether indices of sleep disruption (sleep duration, timing, quality, and regularity) are related to deficits in adolescents’ ability to inhibit attention to negative (depression-relevant) stimuli and predict depressive symptom trajectories across a two-month follow-up. Primary Aim 2 is to determine whether difficulty inhibiting attention to depression-relevant stimuli predicts prospective changes in adolescents’ depressive symptoms. A secondary aim of this study is to evaluate whether difficulty inhibiting attention to depression-relevant stimuli statistically mediates the relation between specific indices of sleep disruption (duration, timing, quality, regularity) and changes in depression over the follow-up. These research aims are complemented by a series of training goals designed to facilitate the applicant’s development into an independent researcher. These training goals are to (i) gain specialized training in adolescent sleep research, (ii) gain expertise in collecting, processing, and analyzing ssVEP data, and (iii) strengthen knowledge of statistical methods for analyzing multi-wave longitudinal data. Overall, this study will provide a fine-grained, multi-method examination of sleep disruption and adolescent depression risk focused on a core mechanism of risk hypothesized to be impacted by the changes in sleep that often occur during adolescence. This study will also provide the training necessary for the applicant to become an independent researcher focused on risk for depression in adolescents.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $34,864 )
2026	2026	THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	4400 VESTAL PKWY E	BINGHAMTON	NY	13902	BROOME	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	1	7/29/2026	NEW	$0
2026	2026	THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	4400 VESTAL PKWY E	BINGHAMTON	NY	13902	BROOME	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	7/27/2026	NEW	$34,864
														Subtotal = $34,864

Grand Total All Awards = $34,864

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Sleep Disruption, Difficulties Inhibiting Attention to Negative Stimuli, and Risk for Depression in Adolescence

Award Number: F31MH143504

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/27/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/26/2028

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