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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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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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Statement from the National Academies: Seizing the Promise of Adolescence

September 10, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant Studies

This brief from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine discusses the role of policymaking to support positive adolescent development. Read the full report, The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth, to see detailed recommendations for youth-supporting policies in education, health, child welfare, and justice.

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