Leveraging the developmental neuroscience of caregiving to promote resilience among youth exposed to adversity

Abstract

Early adversity is a major risk factor for the emergence of psychopathology across development. Identifying mechanisms that support resilience, or favorable mental health outcomes despite exposure to adversity, is critical for informing clinical intervention and guiding policy to promote youth mental health. Here we propose that caregivers play a central role in fostering resilience among children exposed to adversity via caregiving influences on children’s corticolimbic circuitry and emotional functioning. We first delineate the numerous ways that caregivers support youth emotional learning and regulation and describe how early attachment lays the foundation for optimal caregiver support of youth emotional functioning in a developmental stage-specific manner. Second, we outline neural mechanisms by which caregivers foster resilience—namely, by modulating offspring corticolimbic circuitry to support emotion regulation and buffer stress reactivity. Next, we highlight the importance of developmental timing and sensitive periods in understanding caregiving-related mechanisms of resilience. Finally, we discuss clinical implications of this line of research and how findings can be translated to guide policy that promotes the well-being of youth and families.

Understanding alcohol use and alcohol use disorders from a developmental psychopathology perspective: Research advances, challenges, and future directions

“…One important contribution of the developmental psychopathology perspective to understanding early childhood risk has been the study of early adversity. Gee and Cohodes (2023) suggest that corticolimbic circuity and emotion regulation are important mediators of resilience to early adversity and that infancy and early toddlerhood are sensitive periods for caregiver input into those mediators. In particular, secure attachment to caregivers and an environment of safety and predictability support resilience to adversity.…”