Social cognition and psychopathology in adolescence

Abstract

Adolescence is a period of transition, with developmental changes occurring at multiple levels simultaneously (e.g., hormonal, cognitive, neuronal, and socio-environmental). The co-occurrence of these transformational processes could compound risk for mental health problems for a subset of teens, especially towards developing mood and anxiety disorders. In order to progress towards identifying symptoms early and providing age-appropriate interventions, we need to map out trajectories of social-cognitive and affective change and associated neural maturation more comprehensively.