An Evolutionary Preamble Towards a Multilevel Framework to Understand Adolescent Mental Health: An International...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Adolescence is a critical developmental period with unique vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities.
• Mental health issues in adolescence may be functional responses to environmental stressors, not just dysfunctions.
• Existing models lack integration of risk and protective factors in adolescent mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a holistic, multi-level framework for adolescent mental health.
• To integrate ecological and evolutionary theories for improved understanding.
• To guide the development of targeted intervention strategies.

Main Methods:

• A two-round Delphi method involving 12 adolescent mental health experts.
• Expert evaluation of a literature-derived framework using consensus thresholds.
• Iterative revisions based on expert feedback and consensus scores.

Main Results:

• High expert participation (92%) and strong consensus achieved in both Delphi rounds (average indices 0.78 and 0.95).
• Framework structure, content, and clarity were significantly refined through expert input.
• Validated framework integrates macro-, medium-, and micro-level indicators.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework provides a comprehensive structure for adolescent mental health research.
• It facilitates the clustering of indicators across multiple ecological levels.
• Offers a foundation for evolutionarily informed interventions for adolescent mental health.