Editorial: Subclinical Psychopathology and the Developing Brain

Abstract

Adolescence is an important developmental window, characterized by critical changes in brain development (eg cortical thinning), and also by the peak time of onset for many mental health disorders.¹ Understanding the neurodevelopmental roots of psychopathology has been a major focus in our field. Researchers have been charged with providing the foundational knowledge needed to guide the design of effective, neurobiologically based prevention and early intervention efforts.² Although we have made some gains, we still have far to go. The questions that need to be answered require large-scale, longitudinal studies examining brain development beginning early in life, prior to the onset of mental health disorders, with repeated, multi-level assessments to understand the intertwining cascade of alterations in brain, behavior, and experience over time.