UROP Project
Adolescent Mental Health in the Age of AI
Adolescent mental health, AI, digital health intervention, qualitative research
Research Mentor: Dr. Val Wongsomboon,
Department, College, Affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Science , Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: v.wongsomboon@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Science , Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: v.wongsomboon@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
The Sexuality and Health in Context (SHIC) Lab studies how social contexts, close relationships, sexuality, and digital environments shape health and well-being from adolescence through adulthood. A major current focus is how young people navigate emerging technologies, including how adolescents use AI chatbots and companion apps for emotional support and how this affects their help-seeking and mental health. Our current project develops and tests a brief digital intervention to help teens use AI more safely and know when to reach out to trusted people. This is a mixed-methods study that includes several phases: interviews with teens and parents to understand how adolescents use AI for emotional support, developing and refining the intervention based on what we learn, and a pilot test with adolescents. Research assistants join an active project and gain hands-on experience across the research process.Research Tasks: Literature review, participant recruitment and scheduling, preparing and cleaning interview transcripts, assisting with qualitative coding, data entry and organization, general project coordination
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Dependable, detail-oriented, and responsive to emails and Teams messages (required). Interest in adolescent health, digital technology, close relationships, or a related field such as psychology, human development, or public health (recommended). Prior research experience is *not* required.
Mentoring Philosophy
My goal as a mentor is to help RAs get where they want to go. When someone joins, the first thing I want to know is what they're hoping to get out of it. Some are aiming for grad school, some are testing whether research is for them, some want a specific skill, and some are still figuring it out. All are good reasons to be here. From there, I give each student opportunities that fit their goals and strengths while encouraging them to try new things.Communication is important. I want mentees to feel comfortable coming to me, asking questions, and telling me what's working and what isn't. I check in regularly and encourage students to talk with me about their goals so we can find ways the lab can help. Those conversations often reshape what a student works on. I also give honest, direct feedback, because I'd rather help someone improve than tell them what they want to hear.
I believe people learn best when they have genuine ownership of their work and a safe space to try, struggle, and sometimes get it wrong. Mistakes are part of research, not a sign of failure. Much of an undergraduate's early work is foundational, so I help students see how even routine tasks contribute to the bigger picture, and I share my own experiences and missteps along the way. My aim is for every student to leave more capable, confident, and clear about their direction than when they arrived.