Using measures of intrinsic homeostasis and extrinsic modulation to evaluate mental health in adolescents: Preliminary results from the longitudinal adolescent brain study (LABS)

Adolescence is a period when complex interactions occur between mental health risk factors. The Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study (LABS) commenced in 2018, to monitor environmental and psychosocial factors thought to influence mental health in 500 young people. Participants commence at 12 years of age, via a community-based recruitment model, and data is collected at 15 time-points over five years. This study examines demographic and psychosocial self-report data from time-point 1, for the first 50 participants. Here we investigate associations between environmental and psychosocial factors, considered as measures of intrinsic homeostasis and extrinsic modulation. Numerous strong correlations were found. Findings indicate that sleep dysfunction and social connectedness were strongly associated external modulators of intrinsic homeostasis in this sample of 12-year old participants. To successfully address the increase in mental health problems in young people, comprehensive evaluation of lifestyle and environmental risk factors is recommended in addition to medicalised approaches. Interventions to promote mental health wellbeing in young adolescents should include a focus on sleep quality and patterns and the positive and negative aspects of social connectedness.