# Effects of Urban Chemical and Non-Chemical Stressors on Preadolescent Mental Health

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2024 · $248,870

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Anxiety and depression are highly debilitating mental health disorders with origins in early life, making
research in children and adolescents a critical public health need. The prevalence of both disorders in this
age group has rapidly increased over the past decade, particularly in urban areas. Though the etiologies of
child and adolescent mental health disorders remain poorly understood, increasing trends over mere
decades point to environmental causes more than genetics. We propose that non-chemical stressors (noise,
violence, negative life events, and neighborhood environment) in the urban environment play a major role
and interact with environmental factors that show strong urban-rural gradients, such as air pollution. The
neurocognitive toxicity of air pollution has been intensely studied in animal and epidemiologic research but
its role in anxiety and depression is poorly understood, with only a few studies in adults, and even less in
younger populations. Further, the mechanisms by which air pollution impacts the brain are poorly
understood, although altered functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its role in
regulating cortisol secretion is a prime candidate. This study will determine whether early life PM2.5 and non-
chemical stressors impact symptoms of depression and anxiety in preadolescence/ late childhood and
whether cortisol mediates and/or modifies these relationships. We will leverage resources from an
established longitudinal birth cohort in Mexico City - Programming Research in Obesity, Growth,
Environment and Social Stress (PROGRESS). Specifically, we will examine time-specific and cumulative
PM2.5 exposure in relation to mental health outcomes in 8-11 year olds (Aim 1), the role of individual and
combined urban non-chemical stressors in relation to mental health symptoms (Aim 2), and the role of hair
cortisol levels on the biological pathway from PM2.5 to mental health symptoms (Aim 3). In order to more
comprehensively characterize urban stressors in environmental epidemiology and assess their impacts on
mental health in preadolescents, I will cross-train in child and adolescent psychopathology and enhance my
skills in geospatial modeling. I will additionally train in advanced statistical mixtures and causal mediation to
better characterize biological pathways from PM2.5 and stress to mental health outcomes. I will develop these
skills through didactic training, independent study, and mentorship from experts in developmental
psychology, pediatrics, geography, social epidemiology, and biostatistics, specifically - Drs. Rosalind Wright,
Robert Wright, Itai Kloog, Daniel Klein, and Brent Coull. At the end of this training period, I will be uniquely
positioned to more comprehensively examine the effectsof multiple urban stressors on mental health
outcomes in future research. Further, I will use the knowledge gained and the noise model I develop in future
grants, setting the stage for my l...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10832121
- **Project number:** 5R00ES032480-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura A McGuinn
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $248,870
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-01 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10832121

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10832121, Effects of Urban Chemical and Non-Chemical Stressors on Preadolescent Mental Health (5R00ES032480-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10832121. Licensed CC0.

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