Better Together.

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development^SM (ABCD) Study is the largest long-term study of brain development and adolescent health in the United States. Our collaborative research group collects and makes available data to understand and promote the health, well-being, and success of children and adolescents.

The ABCD consortium aspires to be anti-racist, just, inclusive, equitable, and diverse. To do so, we exercise humility, acknowledge limits of our knowledge, and strive to improve our understanding by listening to diverse perspectives and responding thoughtfully. We continue to educate ourselves about the ways discrimination and systemic oppression have shaped the scientific community, and collaborate with individuals and groups who have expertise in anti-racism, equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion.

It is our deepest aspiration that ABCD study data will be utilized responsibly by scientists and key stakeholders around the globe and that scientific findings inform the development of just and equitable policies to elevate the quality of life of all youth. (click image below to learn more)

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI)

To support ABCD’s work towards these values, consortium team members have assembled to form multiple working groups focused on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). To learn more about the overarching mission and goals of the consortium-wide JEDI efforts, click the following links to learn about the Advisory Council and Workgroups.

The JEDI Workgroups address JEDI-related issues regarding study measures and protocols, staff and participants, and the responsible use of ABCD data. As creators and users of the ABCD dataset, we are responsible for ensuring the data are modeled, analyzed, interpreted, and communicated in ways that do not perpetuate harm to individuals or populations. The JEDI Workgroups are actively involved in developing informative Wiki and release notes highlighting important JEDI-related issues like measure changes and the implications for data analysis. Click the following links to access the Wiki and release notes.

 

Suggested Readings on Responsible Data Use

• Cardenas-Iniguez, Carlos, and Marybel Robledo Gonzalez. 2024. “Recommendations for the Responsible Use and Communication of Race and Ethnicity in Neuroimaging Research.” Nature Neuroscience 27 (4): 615–28.
• Bodison, Stefanie C, Bonnie Nagel, Daniel Lopez, Rebekah Huber, and Members of ABCD J WG3. 2023. “Equity-Focused Questions for Researchers Using the ABCD Study.” OSF. June 23. doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/PM7SY.
• Simmons, Cortney, May I. Conley, Dylan G. Gee, Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Deanna M. Barch, Elizabeth A. Hoffman, Rebekah S. Huber, et al. 2021. “Responsible Use of Open-Access Developmental Data: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.” Psychological Science 32 (6): 866–70.
• White, Evan J., Mara J. Demuth, Andrea Wiglesworth, Ashleigh D. Coser, Brady A. Garrett, Terrence K. Kominsky, Valarie Jernigan, Wesley K. Thompson, Martin Paulus, and Robin Aupperle. 2023. “Five Recommendations for Using Large-Scale Publicly Available Data to Advance Health among American Indian Peoples: The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) StudySM as an Illustrative Case.” Neuropsychopharmacology: Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology 48 (2): 263–69.
• Lopez, D. A., Cardenas-Iniguez, C., Subramaniam, P., Adise, S., Bottenhorn, K. L., Badilla, P., Mukwekwerere, E., Tally, L., Ahanmisi, O., Bedichek, I. L., Matera, S. D., Perez-Tamayo, G. M., Sissons, N., Winters, O., Harkness, A., Nakiyingi, E., Encizo, J., Xiang, Z., Wilson, I. G., Smith, A. N., … Huber, R. S. (2024). Transparency and reproducibility in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Developmental cognitive neuroscience, 68, 101408. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101408

Additional JEDI-Related Tools and Resources

Language and Definitions

• Key DEI Terms by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Racial Justice in Education: Key Terms and Definitions by the National Education Association
• Glossary of Terms – LGBTQ  and Transgender by GLAAD
• Disability-Inclusive Language Guidelines by the United Nations
• Person-First and Destigmatizing Language by the National Institutes of Health

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click the image below to learn more about the ways we accelerate diversity and equity in the consortium


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Click the image below to learn how we regularly review our policies and procedures
to remove barriers limiting equitable experiences for study participants

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