How Stress Shapes the Mind and Body
Northwestern University professor Emma Adam emphasized the fundamental importance of inclusion and belonging for young people’s emotional well-being and long-term health in an interview with Susan Corwith, director of the School of Education and Social Policy’s Center for Talent Development.
Adam, the Edwina S. Tarry Professor of Human Development and Social Policy, highlighted the way feelings of connection —or the lack thereof —are closely tied to race, socioeconomic status, and other factors related to identity.
Her research shows that social stressors such as feeling excluded can have a greater biological impact than academic stress, underscoring the need for supportive environments. “Stressors can get under the skin to affect the body and the brain,” Adam said. “The good news is that many biological aspects are malleable and responsive to interventions."
Adam is a developmental psychologist and one of the world’s top experts stress and sleep in children. She is faculty fellow at Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research and president of the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Read more on the Center for Talent Development’s blog about Adam’s work, how stress and biology are related, and four ways to minimize the negative impact of stress.