At the start of the 20th century, G Stanley Hall laid the foundations for the study of adolescence by introducing the concept into the field of psychology, defining the outset of exploration into this distinctive developmental stage. During the following decades, influential figures like Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget and Peter Blos joined the narrative, expanding our understanding of this crucial phase. Fast forward to the end of the century, and the spotlight shifts to cultural and gender differences in adolescent psychology, with Richard Lerner leading the charge through the Youth Development Movement. This movement emphasised the importance of providing young people with social, cognitive, and emotional skills needed to navigate adolescence. Today, contemporary research delves into the biological and neurological aspects of adolescent mental health.

Globally, one in seven adolescents have a mental health disorder, with America reporting one of the highest percentages of youth mental health difficulties [World Health Organisation, 2023]. The most common mental health disorder in teenagers is anxiety. Adolescence is also a sensitive period for the onset of a range of neurological and neurodivergent disorders such as epilepsy, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Autism.

Given the typical age of onset of mental health disorders is between the ages of 12 and 25, adolescence emerges as a pivotal period for understanding their pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment [American Psychiatric Association, 2023]. Traditionally, interventions addressing adolescent mental health leaned heavily on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. However, resilience-based interventions have become popular in recent years, exhibiting promising results in addressing anxiety and depression in teenagers [Academy Health, 2018]. Concurrently, the ongoing maturation of the teenage brain shapes much of the current theoretical approaches and treatment models, placing emphasis on the adaptive features of neural circuits and their associated cognitive and behavioural processes [Uhlhaas et al., 2023].