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Importance of investing in adolescence from a developmental science perspective

Nature volume 554, pages 441–450 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

This review summarizes the case for investing in adolescence as a period of rapid growth, learning, adaptation, and formational neurobiological development. Adolescence is a dynamic maturational period during which young lives can pivot rapidly—in both negative and positive directions. Scientific progress in understanding adolescent development provides actionable insights into windows of opportunity during which policies can have a positive impact on developmental trajectories relating to health, education, and social and economic success. Given current global changes and challenges that affect adolescents, there is a compelling need to leverage these advances in developmental science to inform strategic investments in adolescent health.

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Figure 1: Puberty initiates a period of rapid growth and multi-level dynamic change.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the leadership team of the Center on the Developing Adolescent, including A. Galvan, A. Fuligni and J. Pfeifer, who have provided important intellectual contributions through many formative discussions over the past two years—in ways that were instrumental to an integrative understanding of the developmental science of adolescence as expressed in this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, Institute for Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

    Ronald E. Dahl

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA

    Nicholas B. Allen

  3. Department of Psychology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

    Linda Wilbrecht

  4. Institute for Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

    Ahna Ballonoff Suleiman

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  1. Ronald E. Dahl
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  2. Nicholas B. Allen
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  3. Linda Wilbrecht
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  4. Ahna Ballonoff Suleiman
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R.E.D. and N.B.A. developed the outline of the paper. All authors drafted the manuscript, and provided critical revisions. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

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Correspondence to Nicholas B. Allen.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Reviewer Information Nature thanks B. J. Casey and the other anonymous reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Dahl, R., Allen, N., Wilbrecht, L. et al. Importance of investing in adolescence from a developmental science perspective. Nature 554, 441–450 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25770

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