Brain Development Archives - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)

Lack of Sleep Disrupts Key Brain Functions in Adolescents

July 11, 2025 | NWI

Teens’ sleeping habits may affect how their brain functions, according to this new research. And lack of quality sleep may put kids at risk of developing problem behaviors in the future.

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Why Teen Girls Are More Vulnerable to Mental Health Concerns

July 11, 2025 | NWI

Emergency room visits for mental health concerns among boys have gone down since the pandemic, but have remained high among girls. Girls “persistently feeling sad and hopeless” seems to be a new normal. Understanding the biology behind girls’ mental health is essential to helping them thrive.

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Father’s Mental Health Can Impact Children for Years

May 30, 2025 | NWI

New research reveals that when paternal depression goes undiagnosed or unaddressed, the negative social and behavioral effects on children can persist for years. The study reports that children exposed to paternal depression when entering kindergarten are far more likely to have teacher-reported behavioral difficulties and poor social skills at age 9.

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The Teen Brain: A Short Film

September 21, 2024 | NWI

This ten-minute film, which was featured on Good Morning America, discusses mental health and resilience in a way that is engaging and accessible to young people.

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Trauma During Critical Periods Can Alter Children’s Brain Development

September 21, 2024 | NWI

A panel examined the ways young children’s brain development is affected by traumatic experiences such as violence, war, and separation from parents.

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What Foster and Adoptive Parents Need to Know About Child Trauma

July 28, 2024 | NWI

Early childhood trauma affects kids on a physiological level, and can cause behaviors ranging from detachment to clinginess to violent outbursts. Foster and adoptive parents are often unaware of just how tough it might be – emotionally and financially – to raise a child with a trauma background. This article explores how some caregivers have managed.

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New Research Links Childhood Adversity to Adolescent Mental Health Difficulties

June 16, 2024 | NWI

A new study from researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reveals that childhood environmental factors – including exposure to abuse, poverty, and pollutants – correlate with increased stress and mental health challenges during adolescence.

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Drug-Free Approaches to Treating Anxiety

June 16, 2024 | NWI

A promising new approach to treat anxiety in teens involves intentional recall of a teen’s fears followed by a “memory reconsolidation updating” protocol.

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What Clinicians Think is Driving the Youth Mental Health Crisis

May 13, 2024 | NWI

This brief describes findings from a survey of 1,400 clinicians regarding the reasons behind the national youth mental health crisis that continues to perplex government, health and community leaders.

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Teen Behavior, Explained by a Neuroscientist

April 8, 2024 | NWI

A researcher at Tufts School of Medicine explains how brain development – as well as current events – can influence decision-making in adolescence.

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