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Child Maltreatment as a Risk Factor for Problematic Social MediaUse: Implications for Adolescent Well-Being and Critical Windows for Intervention

Award Number: K01HD120748
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2031

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Child Maltreatment as a Risk Factor for Problematic Social MediaUse: Implications for Adolescent Well-Being and Critical Windows for Intervention - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Problematic social media use may lead to mental distress among adolescents. However, little is known about disadvantaged groups who may be particularly vulnerable to problematic social media use. Child maltreatment is a major public health issue in the U.S.. Victims of child maltreatment may be particularly susceptible to problematic social media use given their heightened vulnerability to psychosocial difficulties, but this has rarely been examined empirically. Another knowledge gap is the role of developmental stages in the associations between social media use and adolescent well-being. Prior theories suggest that individuals’ sensitivity to social media effects varies by developmental stages, but this remains understudied empirically. Without understanding these potential modifiers of the association between social media use and adolescent well- being, a critical and promising avenue of intervention that may improve adolescent well-being cannot progress. The applicant’s long-term goal is to become an interdisciplinary researcher in studying psychosocial pathways to flourishing across the life course. In support of this goal, the immediate objective of this proposal is to determine whether child maltreatment increases adolescents’ vulnerability to problematic social media use and its influences on well-being. The central hypothesis is that victims of child maltreatment have heightened vulnerability to problematic social media use and to its negative influences on well-being, and the effects are stronger in earlier vs. later developmental stages. This proposed research is innovative for at least four reasons, it: 1) provides pioneering evidence on the roles of child maltreatment in adolescent social media use and well-being; 2) incorporates multiple indicators of positive psychosocial well-being outcomes, which are important aspects of positive youth development; 3) uses cutting-edge causal inference methods to enhance causal inference in observational studies; and 4) integrates a developmental perspective in studying child maltreatment, social media use, and adolescent well-being. The training plan includes: mentored research experience, meetings with mentors, and targeted coursework and conferences. This will provide the applicant with crucial training in the key areas of: child maltreatment, adolescent development, and social media use. Taken together, this project will provide one of the most in-depth examinations of child maltreatment, social media use, and adolescent well-being. Ultimately, the proposed research will have significant impact because it will determine whether victims of child maltreatment are particularly vulnerable to problematic social media use, strengthen the scientific evidence for a causal relationship between social media use and adolescent well- being with a developmental perspective, provide new targets for preventive and therapeutic interventions to promote adolescent well-being, and suggest new directions for supporting victims of child maltreatment to reach their full developmental potential.


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 = $126,873 )
2026	2026	PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE	1033 MASSACHUSETTS AVE STE 3	CAMBRIDGE	MA	02138	MIDDLESEX	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	8/20/2026	NEW	$126,873
														Subtotal = $126,873

Grand Total All Awards = $126,873

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Child Maltreatment as a Risk Factor for Problematic Social MediaUse: Implications for Adolescent Well-Being and Critical Windows for Intervention

Award Number: K01HD120748

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2031

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