The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth has received a $500,000 grant to investigate how social media consumption influences adolescent mental health and substance use.

Led by Dr. Karrie Curry, an assistant professor in UNTHSC’s Master of Science in Lifestyle Health Sciences and Coaching program, the two-year study is monitoring 250 adolescents to assess how social media use affects behaviors such as self-harm, disordered eating, and alcohol and cannabis use. HSC said.

The grant is from the Texas Children’s Mental Health Care Consortium through its New and Emerging Child Mental Health Research program that supports research to improve mental health services for young people in Texas.

“Social media has become an inseparable part of adolescence, and while it can offer positive connections, there’s also increasing evidence that it negatively affects mental health and encourages substance use,” said Curry, who works in UNTHSC’s College of Health Professions. “This study aims to unpack the ways social media may exacerbate mental health challenges or encourage harmful behaviors.”

Titled “Investigating the Association Between Social Media Consumption and Adolescent Mental Health and Substance Use through Daily Diary Assessments,” the study started on Sept. 1 and will run through Aug. 31, 2026.

Participants will complete daily diary assessments over six weeks, with a 12-month follow-up to track social media usage, mental health symptoms and substance use.

Valuable insights and meaningful interventions

HSC said that preliminary research already links social media to increased depression, anxiety, and body dissatisfaction among teens. Trends such as the normalization of self-harm and the glamorization of substance use, are especially concerning, Curry said.

The study seeks to identify high-risk content and guide interventions for parents, schools and healthcare providers, HSC said.

“I’m thrilled that Dr. Curry and her team received this significant grant to address such a pressing issue,” Dr. Misti Zablosky, chair and associate professor of UNTHSC’s Department of Personalized Health and Well-Being, said in a statement.

Zablosky added that the rising impact of social media on teens’ mental health needs to be more fully understood.

“Dr. Curry’s innovative approach to studying social media’s connection to mental health challenges and risky behaviors like substance use will offer valuable insights,” she said. “I’m excited to see how these findings will lead to meaningful interventions for adolescents, both in Texas and nationwide.”

Curry said that the research will provide important data for developing interventions to protect adolescents from social media-related risks.

“We’re hopeful the findings will lead to better mental health support for adolescents in Texas and beyond,” she said.

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