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The Effects of Social Deprivation on Adolescent Social Development and Mental Health

May 21, 2020 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

In order to understand how COVID-19 social distancing measures might impact young people, the authors review the science on social isolation during adolescence and how digital technology might help mitigate the negative effects.

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FOR PARENTS: Black American Parenting During The COVID-19 Crisis

May 12, 2020 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

​In this article for Successful Black Parenting, Dr. Valerie Adams-Bass offers 14 practical suggestions for African American parents to support family resilience during the COVID pandemic, which has (as too many crises in this country do) hit Black communities especially hard.

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Supporting Adolescents and Young Adults Exposed to or Experiencing Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

April 22, 2020 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increases in violence and abuse. In this article for the Journal of Adolescent Health, the authors offer recommendations for youth-serving professionals to support adolescents experiencing or exposed to violence during this crisis.

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Coping With the COVID-19 Crisis: A Call for Youth Engagement and the Inclusion of Young People in Matters That Affect Their Lives

April 22, 2020 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

Efforts to protect public health from COVID-19 are likely to have major implications for adolescent development. In this article for the Journal of Adolescent Health, the authors call for including young people in the COVID-19 decisions and planning that are affecting their lives so significantly.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Mental Health for Children and Adolescents

April 14, 2020 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to adolescents’ mental health, by worsening existing problems and curtailing access to school-based mental health services. In this article for JAMA Pediatrics, the authors advocate for timely action to improve access to mental health services for young people, now and in the long-term.

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The Science Behind Adolescent Risk Taking and Exploration

December 20, 2019 | Filed in: Brief

It’s not only normal for adolescents to take risks and try new things, it’s an essential part of learning during these years. Being able and willing to take risks is a part of our natural tendency to explore new things in adolescence—in ways that help us discover who we are, expand our skills, and ultimately leave the safe nest of home. Recent research on adolescent risk taking helps us…

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STUDY: The Need to Contribute During Adolescence

November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

Adolescents are increasingly capable of making meaningful contributions to others. Contributing in substantive ways promotes the autonomy, identity, and relationship skills adolescents are developing. This article from Perspectives on Psychological Science looks at the neural and biological foundations of the need to contribute, and how social environments can provide opportunities for young…

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STUDY: Understanding Adolescence as a Period of Social-affective Engagement and Goal Flexibility

November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

In this 2012 Nature article, the authors provide evidence that the changes in social and emotional processing during adolescence that underlie vulnerabilities such as risk taking can also be adaptive in the face of the rapidly changing social contexts of these years.

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STUDY: Why Interventions to Influence Adolescent Behavior Often Fail but Could Succeed

November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

Traditional programs to encourage healthy behavior are not always effective and can even be counter-productive during adolescence. The authors review evidence that effective preventive interventions for middle adolescents (ages 13 to 17) often harness adolescents heightened sensitivity to respect and status.

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STUDY: Importance of Investing in Adolescence from a Developmental Science Perspective

September 30, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

In this Research Perspective for Nature, our Founding Director Dr. Ron Dahl, along with advisory board members Nick Allen and Linda Wilbrecht and our first director, Ahna Suleiman, apply developmental science to make the case for global investment in the health and well-being of adolescents. The authors explain how understanding developmental science, such as the way puberty changes some aspects…

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