Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Social Disconnection and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors in Early and Middle Childhood: An Intensive Longitudinal Study

Award Number: R01MH142516
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/08/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2031

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Social Disconnection and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors in Early and Middle Childhood: An Intensive Longitudinal Study - ABSTRACT Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) in childhood have become an urgent public health crisis, with rates rising sharply in recent years. Suicide is now the 5th leading cause of death in children under 12, and by ages 9–10, 14.5% of children in the U.S. report suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and 9.1% have engaged in non- suicidal self-harm. Alarmingly, SITBs can manifest as early as the preschool years, often persisting into adolescence and conferring long-term risk for psychopathology. Many non-specific hypotheses have been proposed to explain these secular trends, however, the specific factors driving the increased prevalence of childhood SITBs remain unclear. This study aims to address this critical gap and identify risk-factors most closely linked to childhood SITBs to rapidly inform future intervention strategies. Social disconnection is a central component of many current theories of suicide, raising the possibility that secular trends impacting children’s social lives is also driving increased rates of SITBs. Decreased opportunities for high-quality/engaged in-person interactions due to marked secular social changes such as increases in parent and child screen time, parental stress, and decreased free play with peers—and their resulting impact on social skills and functioning— potentially play a significant role in childhood SITBs. This deprivation may exacerbate vulnerabilities such as heightened rejection sensitivity—characterized by anxious anticipation of rejection, misinterpretation of ambiguous social cues as rejection, and overreaction to perceived rejection. Similarly, reduced distress tolerance may impair children’s ability to navigate social challenges, leading them to withdraw or avoid interactions instead of resolving conflicts, increasing SITB risk. Understanding how these constructs develop in young children may provide insight into the emergence and persistence of SITBs. This study will recruit 400 children aged 5–7 for a longitudinal, multi-method investigation spanning 3 years. Participants will include children with a history of SITBs, children with elevated psychopathology who may be at-risk for new or escalating SITBs across childhood, and healthy controls. Lab visits at baseline and 18 months will include clinical interviews, behavioral assessments of rejection sensitivity and distress tolerance, and EEG (P300) measures of neural responses to social acceptance and rejection. Additionally, ecological momentary assessments (EMA) and biannual at-home surveys will track fluctuations in parent-child interactions, peer engagement, and SITBs across the study. Findings will refine developmental models of SITB risk by clarifying how early social experiences shape rejection sensitivity and distress tolerance. This work will identify key mechanisms linking social disconnection to SITBs, informing targeted, developmentally appropriate interventions that can help reduce childhood SITBs and promote healthier social and emotional development in early and middle childhood.


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 = $765,644 )
2026	2026	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	9/10/2026	NEW	$765,644
														Subtotal = $765,644

Grand Total All Awards = $765,644

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Social Disconnection and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors in Early and Middle Childhood: An Intensive Longitudinal Study

Award Number: R01MH142516

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/08/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2031

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer