The Fundamental Role of Early Environments to Developing an Emotionally Healthy Brain

The quality of early socioemotional environments has a clear link to emotional health. Findings from neuroscientific and behavioral studies explain this enduring link, and findings focus on the plasticity of emotional brain development. Implications include (a) prioritizing individuals as early as possible and throughout development, (b) remaining mindful that stable caregiving is a basic need for children, and (c) supporting children’s emotional development which means supporting their families. Addressing these needs is a large task, but not addressing these needs confers an even larger mental health cost to the individual as well as to society more broadly