When the ABCD study was first thought of, the focus was on how substance use during the teen years affects future outcomes. But this is only one part of the picture. There are many other factors affecting teenage development, including physical and mental health, sports injuries, sleep habits, and time spent on screens. The study started looking at a group of children at ages 9 or 10, with the aim to begin tracking data before they start using substances. Researchers then follow them through the period of time when they are most likely to do so. The children involved are currently 14 or 15 years old. In 2015, five different subgroups from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) joined together to work on the study. They include the National Institute on Child Health and Development (NICHD), the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the Office of Behavioral and Social Science (OBSSR).
What Are the Goals of the ABCD Study?
The ABCD study aims to identify how to best support children’s health and brain development through the teenage years. This will help create policies, programs, and recommendations that promote the best possible outcomes for teens and young adults. “Our study charts brain development throughout the landscape of adolescence,” says Elizabeth Hoffman, PhD, the senior scientific program manager of the ABCD Project. “We start at the onset of adolescence, to see how diverse experiences can influence adolescent health longitudinally.” One main goal of the ABCD study is to create baseline standards for normal development. Knowing what milestones or changes to expect will help those invested in adolescents’ lives understand the needs of the children they support. “We are aiming to get a comprehensive assessment of a variety of things, such as mental health, neurocognition, family and growing up factors, impulse control, current substance use, hormones, and environmental exposures,” says Dr. Hoffman.
Why Is the ABCD Study Important?
The brain undergoes major structural and functional changes during adolescence. Teens start to build their sense of independence. This is a normal and positive change, but it’s not without difficulties. Young people have a strong desire to make their own decisions, but they aren’t necessarily fully equipped to do so. As children develop their sense of identity, they often experiment and take risks, such as trying drugs and alcohol. Right when they begin to experiment with these substances, their brain is most vulnerable to their effects. That is why it’s so important for those invested in children’s developmental outcomes to understand more about how things like substance use, sleep patterns, sports injuries, and more impact health and development. Following the same children as they grow and develop over a long span of time helps researchers track how very specific factors impact developmental outcomes. “This is really the crux of the study,” notes Dr. Hoffman. “A lot of research historically had been looking at a single time point. If you have different participants over different time points, it’s not possible to track development over time.”
How Do Researchers Use Data From the ABCD Study?
Researchers often use data from the ABCD study to help them conduct their own studies. They may ask questions of parents or kids involved in the study and then integrate the ABCD data into their own investigations. One example of this is a study about the long-term effects of pot use while pregnant on children. In it, the researchers asked the birth parents of children involved in the ABCD study whether they used marijuana while they were pregnant. They then compared those responses to data the ABCD study found on mental health. The researchers were able to conclude that there is an association between using pot while pregnant and mental health issues later in childhood. “We saw that children whose mothers supported using cannabis while pregnant had elevated rates of mental health symptoms, like aggression, ADHD, conduct disorder, and even psychotic-like symptoms,” says researcher David Baranger, PhD. “We also saw that they continued to be elevated as the kids got older.”
How Educators Can Use ABCD Data
Schools and educators can use the data from the ABCD study to help form policies and programs on many issues. “This data can be used to answer questions on gaps in achievement, how substance use affects learning, the benefits of extracurricular activities, and how traumatic brain injuries from playing sports may affect educational growth,” notes Dr. Hoffman. “The findings in these areas can, in turn, help inform educational policies on school curricula, athletic programs, after-school programming, and substance use prevention and education.” Along with substance use, sports injuries, and after-school activities, the study is also investigating sleep, attention, and physical activity. Policies such as later start times for high school or requirements for head protection during contact sports may be shaped based on data from the study. In addition, databases are linked with primary ABCD study data to provide information that may be useful for educators. This includes data on poverty, pollution, school, and policy.
What Families Can Learn From ABCD Data
Parents make decisions every day that profoundly affect their children’s lives. It’s up to you to decide whether to enforce screen time limits or a curfew on school nights. You have a say about which sports and activities your child participates in and whether to medicate them if they struggle with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The ABCD study is looking into how all of these experiences shape children’s futures. The data and conclusions can help you make the best decisions for your kids.
