# Depression, Isolation, and Social Connectivity Online (DISCO)

> **NIH NIH RF1** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2022 · $1,893,792

## Abstract

Social isolation represents a risk factor for major depression across the lifespan. The COVID-19 pandemic has
contributed to unprecedented disruption in social networks, as a result both of the disease itself and the
measures required to contain it. Vulnerable and underserved communities have been particularly impacted in
both of these regards, with greater rates of COVID-19 infection as well as greater economic and social impact
of closures and restrictions. It is not surprising, then, that rates of major depressive symptoms in the United
States have approached levels 3 to 4 times those observed before the pandemic. Beginning to address the rise
of social disconnection and its contribution to depression requires a better understanding of the aspects of social
networks most disrupted by the pandemic, and how they relate to depression, especially among individuals in
vulnerable communities. Identifying targets for intervention also requires understanding how online social
behavior may compensate for, or exacerbate, effects of social disconnection. Furthermore, it is necessary to
understand how external factors in a community such as containment policies may contribute to or moderate
social disconnection and depression. To address these critical questions, this study will use data from the Covid
States Project, a 50-state survey conducted approximately every 8 weeks since April 2020, which has enrolled
more than 260,000 unique individuals, including 125,000 from households earning less than $50,000 per year.
Beyond symptoms of depression, the survey asks detailed questions about social networks and social support,
as well as online activity, impact of COVID-19, and a range of other topics. The first aim of the study will
characterize, in well-powered analysis of individual subgroups, the relationship between specific aspects of
social networks and depressed mood, and identify features that may moderate these effects. In aim 2, using an
innovative browser extension, the study will characterize online behavior among 1200 individuals completing the
survey. In aim 3, the study will integrate survey data with longitudinal data at the state and census tract level
regarding pandemic containment policies, mobility, and COVID-19 cases and death. These latter two aims will
provide a novel understanding of how online behavior, and external factors, impact social networks and moderate
their relationship with depression. The study will build on a highly productive collaboration for the past 2 years
between the PI, with expertise in informatics methods for studying mood disorders, and the Northeastern PI, a
computational social scientist with expert in large-scale surveys and investigation of social networks. The
consultants, who have worked closely with the PIs on the survey, bring additional expertise in survey design and
analysis, investigation of time series data including mobility data, and policy analysis. The study will identify
targets for interventions ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10612642
- **Project number:** 1RF1MH132335-01
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** ROY H. Perlis
- **Activity code:** RF1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,893,792
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-09 → 2026-03-08

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10612642

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10612642, Depression, Isolation, and Social Connectivity Online (DISCO) (1RF1MH132335-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10612642. Licensed CC0.

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