New research suggests having strong friendships as a teenager may lead to greater resilience as an adult – Page 2 – Chip Chick

During this simulation, brain scans revealed that the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex was activated. This area is associated with the creation and regulation of emotions.

Among participants who reported having good friendships at age 13 and who demonstrated greater resilience at age 24, the researchers found that they responded more positively to social inclusion. In addition, they demonstrated greater resilience in the face of stressful situations.

However, the study's results are less definitive regarding the extent to which resilience-related brain activity was actually affected by social exclusion.

Further research is needed to fully understand the influence of adolescent friendships on adult mental health.

A key area that deserves further study is understanding how healthy friendships during adolescence can reprogram the adult brain.

It is also essential to find the best ways to support adolescents who do not have friends or who are suffering from mental health problems. Researchers have suggested that peer support group programs could be useful and helpful options.

“Youth mental health is a complex and nuanced area. One of the goals we hope to achieve through research programs like this is to increase awareness and understanding so that young people can seek help when they need it,” Dauvermann said.

To read the full results of the study, which have since been published in Social, cognitive and affective neurosciencesvisit the link here.