Center for the Study of Adolescent Risk & Resilience, Duke University

03/18/2026

Research by C-StARR faculty affiliates explains why young adults with ADHD are significantly more likely to develop ni****ne dependence. The researchers found that while ni****ne objectively improved attention for both those with and without ADHD, only individuals with ADHD felt a subjective boost in concentration and alertness. These perceived benefits were the strongest predictors of choosing ni****ne over a placebo, suggesting that the drive to self-medicate cognitive symptoms begins with the very first exposures.

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Background: People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) use ni****ne products at higher rates than those without. Greater initial sensitivity to...

03/02/2026

Research by C-StARR faculty affiliates finds that how mothers express warmth and negativity toward their children at age 10 predicts mental health outcomes into adolescence. Using a longitudinal monozygotic twin-difference design, the study strengthens evidence that higher maternal negativity and lower warmth are associated with greater externalizing symptoms and broader psychopathology at ages 12 and 18—even after accounting for genetics, shared family environment, and early childhood behavior. The findings suggest that family emotional climate may play a meaningful role in adolescent mental health risk and prevention.

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Background Emotions that mothers express about their offspring are associated with offspring mental health during childhood, but little research has explored whether this extends into adolescence. W...

02/20/2026

New research supported by C-StARR examines how everyday discrimination shapes adolescents’ mental health in real time.

Using a 14-day ecological momentary assessment with a population-representative sample, they found that on days when adolescents experienced discrimination, they reported higher depressive symptoms, anxiety, inattention, and conduct problems. Black and economically disadvantaged adolescents reported discrimination more frequently, highlighting persistent disparities in exposure.

Importantly, these effects were evident within individuals from day to day, showing that discrimination is not just a background stressor but linked to immediate changes in well-being.

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Adolescents who report discrimination experience worse mental health. However, most research has been cross-sectional and retrospective. This study investigated how prospectively-assessed day-to-da...

02/04/2026

New research by C-StARR faculty affiliates examined how chronic war exposure affects stress biology in youth living in Ukraine. Using hair cortisol concentrations and region-level data on air alarms and explosions, the study found that greater exposure to ongoing wartime stress was associated with lower cortisol levels—consistent with HPA axis down-regulation under chronic stress. Notably, cortisol levels were not related to post-traumatic stress symptoms, suggesting that physiological and psychological responses to prolonged war exposure may follow different pathways. The findings raise important questions about potential long-term health consequences of chronic stress adaptation in youth.

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01/30/2026

Research by C-StARR Faculty affiliates examined how adverse childhood experiences shape civic engagement in emerging adulthood. Using nationally representative longitudinal data, the study found that greater exposure to childhood adversity—particularly community violence and family substance use—was associated with lower civic engagement later in life. These findings highlight how early social environments can have lasting implications for participation in civic and community life.

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01/23/2026

How do childhood experiences shape how we see the world as adults? Research by C-StARR faculty affiliates followed children into young adulthood across eight countries and found that parental warmth consistently predicted more positive beliefs about the world—seeing it as safer, better, and more inviting. In contrast, factors like socioeconomic status and neighborhood danger showed much weaker links. These findings highlight the long-term psychological importance of supportive caregiving environments.

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Abstract. Primal world beliefs (“primals”) capture understanding of general characteristics of the world, such as whether the world is Good and Enticing. C

01/16/2026

New research by C-StARR faculty affiliates in The Journal of Early Adolescence examines how everyday discrimination—routine, subtle unfair treatment—is associated with adolescents’ mental health. Findings highlight that repeated social stressors during early adolescence are linked to worse psychological well-being, highlighting how daily experiences in social environments matter for development.

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01/08/2026

Research supported by C-StARR examines the impact of digital location tracking on family dynamics. The study highlights that while tracking is common, its success depends on the parent-child relationship; positive parenting can mitigate the potential negative effects of monitoring on adolescent adjustment.

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12/18/2025

How do we measure children’s home environments in today’s world? This article, supported by C-StARR, introduces HOME-21, a modernized update to a foundational assessment tool that reflects contemporary family structures, parenting practices, and technology use. Results across two large samples show meaningful links between home environments, parenting quality, and child adjustment.

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