Article
Adolescent Psychopathology: The Role of Brain-Based Diatheses, Sensitivities, and Susceptibilities
Amanda E. Guyer,
Corresponding Author
Amanda E. Guyer
University of California, Davis
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Amanda E. Guyer, Department of Human Ecology, Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, 267 Cousteau Place, Davis, CA 95618; e-mail: [email protected].
Search for more papers by this authorAmanda E. Guyer,
Corresponding Author
Amanda E. Guyer
University of California, Davis
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Amanda E. Guyer, Department of Human Ecology, Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, 267 Cousteau Place, Davis, CA 95618; e-mail: [email protected].
Search for more papers by this authorAmanda E. Guyer, University of California, Davis.
The work reported in this article was supported by a William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Award (#180021) and National Institutes of Health grants R01MH098370 and R03MH116519. The author thanks Koraly Perez-Edgar, Paul Hastings, Grant Shields, and Joseph Venticinque for their feedback.
Abstract
The rates of onset for several forms of psychopathology peak during adolescence, which coincides with the refinement of brain circuitry attuned to expanding social-contextual interactions, stressors, and settings. Although some adolescents experience mental health difficulties, most do not develop significant problems. Conceptual work suggests that brain-based individual differences in adolescents’ neurobiological susceptibility to their social contexts play a role in the development of psychopathology and well-being. In this article, I summarize evidence supporting the idea that individual differences in brain structure and function moderate the relation between adolescents’ social-contextual experiences and psychopathology. I discuss why this approach is important in developmental research designed to identify adolescents at greatest risk for psychopathology or poised for positive outcomes, as well as those who may benefit most from intervention.
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