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Longitudinal THRIVE study protocol: social and neurobiological mechanisms of risk and resilience in young people with a history of childhood adversity

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction Childhood adversity (CA) is among the strongest predictors of mental health problems. CA refers to experiences that are likely to require significant adaptation by an average child and that represent a deviation from the expectable environment. CA-related alterations in social and cognitive functioning may result in the thinning of social networks and increases in stressful peer interactions which subsequently lead to mental health problems. The Towards Health and Resilience in Volatile Environments (THRIVE) study takes a longitudinal approach to investigate these proposed prospective relationships by examining whether and how social, cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms interact to shape friendship support, stressful peer interactions and mental health functioning over time. Methods and analysis The ongoing THRIVE study includes 283 participants aged 18–24 years who retrospectively self-report CA. This longitudinal study comprises six sessions in total. Participants complete an online baseline assessment of mental health, social support, stress experiences and early life experiences, followed by an in-unit deep-phenotyping session. Assessments include self-report measures, cortisol measures, computerised cognitive tasks and functional neuroimaging paradigms assessing stress and social evaluation. Participants subsequently complete four online follow-up assessments at 3-month intervals. Using data collected at the in-unit session, we aim to test whether CA is associated with biased emotion processing, blunted feedback learning and enhanced stress responses, and whether social support from peers may moderate these effects. The longitudinal design further enables us to test whether CA contributes to mental health problems through its impact on cognitive functioning, which over time leads to reduced social support and increased social stress. By elucidating how cognitive and social functioning contribute to mental health outcomes following CA, the THRIVE study aims to inform the development of interventions that foster resilience in young people. Ethics and dissemination The THRIVE study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee Leiden-The Hague-Delft (NL80017.058.21). The study was co-created with the Augeo Youth Task Force, a panel of young adults with lived experience of CA, who contribute throughout the research process. Findings will be disseminated through scientific publications, conference presentations, preprints and public engagement activities.

Source: BMJ Open

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-123790