New study finds pandemic lockdowns prematurely aged teenage brains

Everyone is a current, former, or future teenager.

You probably know this period of life is an especially difficult time for kids. Throw in a deadly pandemic and the subsequent disruption of school and social life? It got a lot more complicated. And new research suggests COVID-19 lockdowns may have had lasting consequences for adolescent minds.

In a new study from the University of Washington Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS for short), researchers found that pandemic isolation actually accelerated the aging of teen brains. 

Soundside spoke with the study's lead author about what that means for the mental health of teens post-pandemic, and we can learn about teenage brain development going forward. 

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Guests: 

• Neva Corrigan, the lead author of the study and a research scientist at the University of Washington’s I-LABS.

Related Links: 

• COVID-19 lockdowns prematurely aged teenage brains, UW study shows | UW News (washington.edu)
• COVID-19 Pandemic Associated With Worse Mental Health and Accelerated Brain Development in Adolescents - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (nih.gov)

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