The Orygen Adolescent Emotional Development Study

This study is investigating one of the key underlying causes of the onset of mental disorder in adolescence, namely difficulties with regulating moods and emotions. Many of the mental disorders that are highly prevalent in adolescence, such as depression, anxiety and substance use, are associated with clear problems in regulating moods and emotions.

The study is prospective, and longitudinal information has been collected from a large cohort of Grade 6 school children who have been screened according to measures of emotional temperament. A subset of participants have been asked to participate during the follow up phase during their teenage years. It is hoped that this study will ultimately enable us to understand how symptoms of mental disorder emerge and how this can be influenced. Assessments include brain imaging, assessment of physiological reactivity to emotional stimuli and observational assessment of conflict during family interactions.

The third wave of assessment, which includes repeated neuroimaging, diagnostic and cognitive assessments, commenced in August 2008. Recruitment and testing proceeded smoothly, with testing of participants completed in September 2009. The next wave of assessments will begin in August 2010. A number of high impact publications have resulted from the project. These include a recent publication in the prestigious general science journal, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which resulted in considerable national and international news coverage of the study.