Study of Adolescent Girls’ Emotions (SAGE Study)

This study explores how daily social and emotional experiences relate to depression in adolescent girls aged 14 to 16 years old, both with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants will complete daily check-in surveys on an App, as well as interviews and questionnaires every three months over two years, to track mood, coping, and social interactions. The goal is to identify social-emotional factors that protect against depression and promote resilience in adolescent girls, especially those on the autism spectrum. Results will help inform prevention and intervention strategies to support girls’ mental health and social-emotional development.

Eligible participants are adolescent girls between the ages of 14 years 0 months and 16 years 11 months, with or without an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Each participant must have a caregiver who is willing to take part in the study and provide consent. Both the adolescent and caregiver must be able to read and respond in English. For the autism group, participants must meet the cutoff score on the screening measure [i.e., Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ)], while neurotypical participants should not have any known neurodevelopmental or psychiatric conditions.

• Girls (assigned female at birth and identifying as female) ages 14-16
• Both autistic and neurotypical. (For autistic girls who have an existing medical diagnosis of ASD by a professional and meet the cut-off on the screening measure)
• Access to a smartphone
• Caregiver willing to participate with the adolescents

Participants will take part in the study for two years. At the start, each adolescent and their caregiver will attend one in-person visit that includes interviews and questionnaires about mood, social experiences, and development. After this initial visit, participants will complete brief remote check-ins every three months. Each check-in involves a short video call with the research team, daily smartphone surveys four times a day for one week, and online questionnaires. Caregivers will also complete short surveys about their child’s well-being. Altogether, each data collection period will take about two to three hours spread across the week. Families will receive up to $540 total in compensation, distributed incrementally throughout the study.

Depression affects many adolescents, especially girls, and those with autism are at even higher risk. However, research has rarely focused on autistic adolescent girls. Understanding how social interactions and emotional experiences affect their well-being can guide more effective school- and community-based interventions. This study could help educators, clinicians, and families support mental health and resilience in adolescent girls.