Brains of teens with depression remain on high alert to social rejection

Brains of teens with depression remain on high alert to social rejection

Adolescent girls with major depressive disorder show atypical brain responses when anticipating social rejection, failing to adapt to repeated threats over time. These patterns suggest that depression alters social learning on a neurological level, keeping the brain on high alert in challenging peer interactions. The findings were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Adolescence is a sensitive period for social and emotional developm…