# Bidirectional effects between adolescent digital dating abuse dynamics and mental health

> **NIH NIH R01** · ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS · 2024 · $790,308

## Abstract

Project Summary
Recent nationally representative data show that 76% of adolescents experience digital dating abuse. Digital
dating abuse is the use of technology to threaten, harass, monitor, control, pressure, or coerce a romantic
partner. It is a cause for serious concern; adolescents who experience digital dating abuse are more likely to
experience mental health problems (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicidal ideation). Yet, the reciprocal
nature between digital dating abuse and mental health problems is unclear due to a lack of longitudinal research.
Adolescents are prolific technology users and constantly connect with romantic partners via texting and social
media. Furthermore, characteristics of media, such as the lack of non-verbal cues, publicness, and permanence
of communication, make for an easily accessible yet harmful context that possibly amplifies the adverse effects
of digital dating abuse on adolescents' mental health. Therefore, it is timely to investigate the relational and digital
mechanisms that underlie the reciprocal influences of digital interactions between romantic partners and mental
health problems. First, we will identify how adolescents with mental health problems experience increased daily
relationship threats and negative mood, leading to digital dating abuse among couples. Second, we will
investigate whether daily supportive parent and peer relationships are protective factors for the emergence of
digital dating abuse and mental health problems. At the same time, certain media characteristics (lack of non-
verbal cues, publicness, permanence) are likely to exacerbate the effects of digital dating abuse on adolescents'
mental health problems. Third, we will examine the long-term bidirectional impact of digital dating abuse and
mental health problems. Despite a higher risk for in-person dating abuse and mental health problems for Latinx
adolescents, research has yet to examine the impact of the sociocultural context on digital dating abuse.
Therefore, we will include a primary sample of Latinx adolescents and investigate how Latinx adolescents'
cultural competencies will protect against the long-term consequences of DDA on mental health problems. We
propose to follow 300 couples (N = 600 adolescents) in a dyadic, observational, and longitudinal study. In
addition to adolescents' daily self-reports, we will objectively code for digital dating abuse from screenshot
uploads of their digital relationship interactions. We will also measure negative mood and mental health problems
with passive sensing of sentiment derived from mobile phone text input. Following couples day-to-day and
longitudinally will capture the full range of digital interactions, varying from minor conflicts to digital dating abuse.
This approach will allow us to examine how, in which contexts, and when adolescents with mental health
problems engage in digital dating abuse and, in turn, investigate its long-term consequences on mental health
probl...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11045446
- **Project number:** 1R01MH138928-01
- **Recipient organization:** ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Phuong Thao Ha
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $790,308
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11045446

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11045446, Bidirectional effects between adolescent digital dating abuse dynamics and mental health (1R01MH138928-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11045446. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*