title: Relationships, environment, and the brain: how emerging research is changing what we know about the impact of families on human development.
abstract: Recent research is providing family therapists with new information about the complex interaction between an individual's biological makeup and his/her social and physical environment. Family and social relationships, particularly during sensitive periods early in life, can affect a child's biological foundation. Additionally, stress during the early years can have a lasting effect on an individual's physical and mental health and contribute to the onset of severe mental illness. Community programs have been developed to intervene early with families who have an at-risk child to prevent or minimize the onset of mental illness including providing partnerships with at-risk mothers of infants to shape attachment relationships. Programs are also developing individual and family interventions to prevent the onset of psychosis. Practicing family therapists can incorporate emerging neuroscience and early intervention research and leverage the growing base of community programs to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of mental health outcomes for clients. Additionally, family therapy education programs should broaden student training to incorporate the growing body of information about how family relationships affect individual mental health development.
authors.affiliation: Marriage and Family Therapy, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: Jo Ellen
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vakili
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D001921:Brain; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005195:Family Relations; D005196:Family Therapy; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D011203:Poverty; D024382:Professional Role; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014481:United States
keywords: At-risk Children; Early Intervention; Ecobiodevelopmental; Family Relationships; Neuroscience; The Developing Brain; eco-bio-desarrollo; el cerebro en desarrollo; intervención temprana; neurociencia; niños en riesgo; relaciones familiares; 发育中的大脑; 家庭关系; 早期干预; 生态生物发展; 神经科学; 风险儿童