Fast Facts
Healthy girls ages 10-14 and their parent
No history of mood disorders, severe psychiatric illness, or developmental disorders
Compensation
up to $485
Conducted in
Columbus, OH
Additional Information
This study is being conducted to better understand how stress, thinking patterns, and brain changes affect girls’ mental health, and to explore ways to improve early support and overall well‑being.
Your family may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Healthy girls between the ages of 10 and 14
- No history of mood disorders, severe psychiatric illness, or developmental disorders
- Have a parent/legal guardian who is willing to participate
- Live in Ohio
- Able to undergo an MRI (no metal objects in body, no claustrophobia)
- Willing to attend in-person visits at Ohio State University
This study lasts about 2 years. During this time, your family will take part in several study visits and complete some activities from home.
You and your child will come to the study site for multiple visits over the two‑year period. At each visit, your child may:
- Answer questionnaires about feelings, stress, and daily experiences
- Complete simple computer tasks that measure attention, memory, or thinking patterns
- Take part in interviews with trained researchers
- Have brain‑imaging scans (such as MRI) to look at how different parts of the brain work
- Some visits may include audio or video recording, but only for research purposes
These visits are designed to be comfortable, safe, and age‑appropriate.
At‑Home Activities
Between study visits, your child will complete a few tasks from home or during a virtual study visit. These activities include:
- Short Online Surveys: A comprehensive set of online surveys completed at the child’s pace. These surveys take a deeper look at your child’s overall well-being, development, and experiences over time.
- Phone Surveys: Completed over a period of several days via a smartphone app, these surveys ask about mood, stress, and daily routines. Each one takes only a few minutes.
- Computer Tasks: Engaging computer games designed to measure attention, memory, or thinking patterns.
A Note on Privacy: No audio, video, or location tracking is collected through the app–only the answers your child provides.
Participants may receive up to $485 in compensation for their time ($320 for the teen and $165 for the parent). Transportation support or reimbursement may also be available for parents who live farther away or choose to use a transportation service for the in‑person visit each year.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.