Restricted-Use Data

The comprehensive restricted-use data, available by contractual agreement, contains information on all study participants and is distributed only to qualified researchers who demonstrate a commitment to maintaining strict data security and limited access.

Restricted-use data are available via contractual agreement. Visit Restricted-Use Contracts for more information. Interested researchers should refer to the Eligibility Requirements to see if you are eligible to apply for a restricted-use contract.

Add Health restricted-use data are subject to the requirements specified on the Conditions of Use page.

Restricted-Use Data Types

Add Health restricted-use data are categorized into two broad types. Most restricted-use data are Standard files, which include survey, biomarker, cognitive, contextual data, and more. All Standard data files are available to all Add Health contract users on both SRW Contracts and Home Institution Contracts. Researchers are no longer required to request specific data sets.

Special Request data are considered highly sensitive and are accessible only through a specific request process, with most data sets subject to additional requirements. See the Special Request Data page for more information.

All available restricted-use data sets are listed in the Add Health File Inventory, and are categorized as either Standard or Special Request in the Access column.

Additional Information

Please note that Restricted-Use Contracts do not permit the linkage of Add Health data with external data sets. Researchers interested in integrating supplemental, contextual, or biological data with Add Health should consult the Ancillary Studies page for guidance on the appropriate procedures and requirements. 

Specific data-related questions can be directed to the Add Health Data Team at addhealth_srw_data@cpc.unc.edu. Please visit the webpages listed in the sidebar to the right for more information.