Resource Library

Adolescence: A Critical Window to Influence Youth Mental Health

October 3, 2022 | Filed in: Fact Sheet | Brief

Research into cognitive and social development tells us that adolescence is a critical period to influence the mental health of young people. We can help young people not just survive but thrive by exposing them to conditions and experiences that support their developmental needs during these years.

Navigating Transitions: Resources from the YNSCA

September 14, 2022 | Filed in: Fact Sheet

Our adolescent years mark a time of transition, as our bodies and brains mature and we explore and learn from our experiences and the world around us. Along the journey from childhood to adulthood, there are other major transitions along the way—the transition from middle school to high school, from high school to college or career, and into adulthood. The Youth National Scientific Council on…

Youth Need Access to Comprehensive Reproductive Care and Education

July 8, 2022

As an organization dedicated to improving the health, education, and wellbeing of adolescents through science, we support access to comprehensive reproductive information and healthcare—including abortion—for adolescents. Adolescence is a critical window for supporting positive development, and restrictions on access to reproductive health information and reproductive healthcare have a…

2022 Adolescent Brain Development Symposium: Supporting Exploratory Learning During Adolescence

June 2, 2022 | Filed in: Video

Our first annual Symposium on Adolescent Brain Development in May 2022 brought together researchers, practitioners, and funders to discuss the following key question: How can we best support adolescents’ need to explore and learn about themselves and the world around them?

5 Facts About the Importance of Caring Adults During Our Adolescent Years

March 30, 2022 | Filed in: Fact Sheet

As we mature during adolescence, exercising more responsibility and personal agency, we become less physically dependent on adult caregivers. Yet parents and other caring adults remain as important to our healthy development as when we were younger. Below are five fast facts about the important role parents and other caring adults continue to play throughout our adolescent years. Secure and…

Breaking Up: Love and Loss in Adolescence

February 17, 2022 | Filed in: Video

Adolescence is a time of intense social learning, and romantic relationships, and even breakups, can be powerful learning experiences during these years. But how can adults support this learning while young people are hurting? In a recent panel discussion, experts Dr. Nicole Green (UCLA), Dr. Ahna Suleiman (Sacramento State University), and Youth National Scientific Council members Makayla Dawkins…

Supporting Youth in the Context of Family

November 19, 2021 | Filed in: Video

Dr. Velma McBride Murry, a professor at Vanderbilt University, talks with Dr. Andrew Fuligni about her extensive research on African-American parents and youth, and how she has used this information to develop and implement the Pathways for African American Success Program (PAAS) to enhance families’ skills to help their pre-teens make good decisions as they prepare to enter high school.

The Intersection of Adolescent Development and Anti-Black Racism

August 9, 2021 | Filed in: Council Report | STEPS for Youth | Education | Community Engagement | Adversity, Bias, & Discrimination | Juvenile Justice

This first Council Report from the National Scientific Council on Adolescence summarizes research on how racism and related inequities impact key developmental milestones of adolescence and offers policy and practice recommendations to support Black youth.

Supporting Positive Development for Youth Post-Pandemic

July 8, 2021 | Filed in: Fact Sheet

Adolescence is a period of remarkable growth and opportunity. But the COVID-19 pandemic created unique challenges for this age group.

A Conversation on Youth Mental Health

June 16, 2021 | Filed in: Video

Adolescent mental health was in the headlines long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The effects of the virus and related restrictions have added new twists to the discussion, highlighting rising rates of anxiety and depression while also creating an opportunity to prioritize youth well-being as we move forward. The UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent partnered with Young Invincibles (YI) to…