Resource Library
Supporting Adolescents and Young Adults Exposed to or Experiencing Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 22, 2020 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesAnecdotal 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.
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 StudiesEfforts 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.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Mental Health for Children and Adolescents
April 14, 2020 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesThe 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.
The Science Behind Adolescent Risk Taking and Exploration
December 20, 2019 | Filed in: BriefAdolescents are generally more likely to lean into risk and uncertainty than children or adults—and that’s a good thing.
STUDY: The Need to Contribute During Adolescence
November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesAdolescents 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…
STUDY: Understanding Adolescence as a Period of Social-affective Engagement and Goal Flexibility
November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesIn 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.
STUDY: Why Interventions to Influence Adolescent Behavior Often Fail but Could Succeed
November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesTraditional 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.
STUDY: Importance of Investing in Adolescence from a Developmental Science Perspective
September 30, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesIn 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…
Thinking “Developmentally”
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: BriefIt’s important to keep a developmental perspective when talking about adolescence. Here’s a brief summary of what it means to think developmentally. At the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent, we believe it is important to think developmentally about adolescence. Thinking developmentally means recognizing that adolescence is a time of unique capacities, motivations, and contexts,…
6 Fast Facts About Adolescent Development
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: Fact SheetRapid social learning, increased sensitivity to respect, and a drive toward new experiences are just a few of the factors that make adolescence a key window of opportunity. We review these research-based factors and a few more in this quick overview.