Genetics

Human behavior is influenced by both genes and the environment. Careful consideration of genetic and environmental influences, including the familial and sociocultural contexts in which adolescents develop and function, is fundamental for research on adolescent development and well-being. Determining genetic and environmental contributors is critical for our understanding of adolescent development and the etiology of psychopathology, identifying at-risk adolescents, and developing and implementing the most targeted and effective preventive-intervention efforts. Critically, even aspects of human behavior that are strongly genetically influenced are not intractable or immutable. Genetically informative research that accounts for genetic confounding to identify causal environmental risk factors furthers the development of prevention and intervention approaches that target true causal environmental risk factors and are most effective in promoting adaptive outcomes for adolescents.