Mental HealthNCT06049888
Does Social Media Impact Adolescent Mental Health?
A study testing Restricted Social Media in people with Mental Health, run by Georgetown University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The mental health of adolescents in the United States has seen a steep decline, roughly coinciding with the increasing popularity of social media and smartphones. But does social media have a causal impact on the mental health of adolescents or are concerns about the effect of social media on kids a form of public… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 10 to 14 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Mental Health
- What is being tested?
- Restricted Social Media
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 500 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 29 Sep 2024to 1 Jun 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 10 to 14 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- is an adolescent who is between the ages of 10 and 14;
- is an adolescent whose parents have decided to buy them their first smartphone;
- is an adolescent both of whose parents/guardians consent for them to be in the study;
- is an adolescent who assents to be in the study; 5) is an adolescent who speaks and reads English sufficiently to complete surveys and provide informed consent.
Who cannot join
- is an adolescent who has severe developmental problems (e.g., autism, severe language delay);
- is an adolescent who is currently or has ever been diagnosed with severe or moderately severe mental illness;
- is an adolescent who is currently or has ever experienced suicidal ideation.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Georgetown University
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20057
Kostadin Kushlev, PhD, kk1199@georgetown.edu
About this study
Official title: Causal Effects of Exposure to Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health
The mental health of adolescents in the United States has seen a steep decline, roughly coinciding with the increasing popularity of social media and smartphones. But does social media have a causal impact on the mental health of adolescents or are concerns about the effect of social media on kids a form of public hysteria? In this study, the investigators will conduct the first field experiment in 10-14-year-olds to examine whether, how, and for whom social media harms mental health.
- Conditions
- Mental Health
- Being tested
- Restricted Social Media
- Keywords
- social media, mental health, depression, anxiety
- Medical subject headings
- Psychological Well-Being, Depression, Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Restricted Social MediaBehavioural
Participants (N = 500) will be randomly assigned to either have no study-imposed restrictions on social media use (naturalistic social media condition) or have no access to social media apps on their phones (restricted social media condition). This manipulation will last three months, after which both groups will have no study-imposed restrictions on social media for three more months.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalistic Social Media | No intervention | In this control condition, participants will have no study-imposed restrictions on social media use. |
| Restricted Social Media | Experimental | Participants will have social media apps on their phones blocked for three months. Receives: Behavioral: Restricted Social Media |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Total Score
The average score varies between 0 and 4, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome.
Measured: Baseline, three months, and six months
Secondary outcomes (2)
Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Depression Subscale
The average score varies between 0 and 4, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome.
Measured: Baseline, three months, and six months
Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Anxiety Subscale
The average score varies between 0 and 4, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome.
Measured: Baseline, three months, and six months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Sep 2023
- Study start29 Sep 2024
- Primary completion2 Mar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jun 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Mental HealthStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Georgetown UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 500 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Georgetown University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06049888
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1R01MH135467
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Aug 2023
- Last updated
- 8 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Demographic, clinical (self-reports and parent reports), neurocognitive (gradCPT), and passive mobile sensing data (accelerometer, GPS, keyboard input, app usage) will be collected and made available on NIMH Data Archive (NDA). All data will be de-identified prior to deposition to NDA. To request access to the data, researchers will use the standard processes at NDA, and the NDA Data Access Committee will decide which requests to grant. All code for the analyses-including statistical analysis, data transformations, and data cleaning-will be shared on the Open Science Framework (OSF). The code can be found by searching for "Kostadin Kushlev" on the Open Science Framework.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Causal Effects of Exposure to Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06049888
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 1R01MH135467
- Conditions
- Mental Health
- Keywords
- social media, mental health, depression, anxiety
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 500 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Georgetown UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Study start
- 29 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 2 Mar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jun 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Sep 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The mental health of adolescents in the United States has seen a steep decline, roughly coinciding with the increasing popularity of social media and smartphones. But does social media have a causal impact on the mental health of adolescents or are concerns about the effect of social media on kids a form of public hysteria? In this study, the investigators will conduct the first field experiment in 10-14-year-olds to examine whether, how, and for whom social media harms mental health.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalistic Social Media | No intervention | –In this control condition, participants will have no study-imposed restrictions on social media use. |
| Restricted Social Media | Experimental | Behavioral: Restricted Social MediaParticipants will have social media apps on their phones blocked for three months. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 10 to 14 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- is an adolescent who is between the ages of 10 and 14;
- is an adolescent whose parents have decided to buy them their first smartphone;
- is an adolescent both of whose parents/guardians consent for them to be in the study;
- is an adolescent who assents to be in the study; 5) is an adolescent who speaks and reads English sufficiently to complete surveys and provide informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- is an adolescent who has severe developmental problems (e.g., autism, severe language delay);
- is an adolescent who is currently or has ever been diagnosed with severe or moderately severe mental illness;
- is an adolescent who is currently or has ever experienced suicidal ideation.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted Social MediaParticipants (N = 500) will be randomly assigned to either have no study-imposed restrictions on social media use (naturalistic social media condition) or have no access to social media apps on their phones (restricted social media condition). This manipulation will last three months, after which both groups will have no study-imposed restrictions on social media for three more months. | Behavioural | Restricted Social Media |
Primary outcome
Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Total Score
Time frame: Baseline, three months, and six months
The average score varies between 0 and 4, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome.
2 secondary outcomes
Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Depression Subscale
Time frame: Baseline, three months, and six months
Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Anxiety Subscale
Time frame: Baseline, three months, and six months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Demographic, clinical (self-reports and parent reports), neurocognitive (gradCPT), and passive mobile sensing data (accelerometer, GPS, keyboard input, app usage) will be collected and made available on NIMH Data Archive (NDA). All data will be de-identified prior to deposition to NDA. To request access to the data, researchers will use the standard processes at NDA, and the NDA Data Access Committee will decide which requests to grant. All code for the analyses-including statistical analysis, data transformations, and data cleaning-will be shared on the Open Science Framework (OSF). The code can be found by searching for "Kostadin Kushlev" on the Open Science Framework.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Restricted Social Media in people with Mental Health, run by Georgetown University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Kostadin Kushlev, PhD (804-585-4385, kk1199@georgetown.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Total Score (time frame: Baseline, three months, and six months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Jul 2026.