The period of adolescence brings with it a dynamic interaction between social context and behaviour, structural brain development, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. The rate of volumetric change in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and amygdala have been implicated in socioemotional development in adolescence; typically, there is thinning of grey matter volume (GMV) in the vmPFC and growth in the amygdala during this time. The directionality of the associations between social, emotional, and neuroanatomical factors has yet to be untangled, such as the degree to which social variables impact regional brain development, and vice versa. To add, the differences between sexes are still up for debate. In this study, longitudinal associations between peer problems, family support, socioeconomic stress, emotional symptoms, amygdala volume, and vmPFC GMV were investigated for both sexes using latent change score models. Data from a multi-site European study at baseline (mean (SD) age = 14.40 (0.38) years; % female = 53.19) and follow-up 2 (mean (SD) age = 18.90 (0.69) years, % female = 53.19) were used. Results revealed that peer problems did not predict emotional symptoms, rather they changed together over time. For males only, there was positive correlated change between vmPFC GMV, peer problems and emotional symptoms, indicating that slower vmPFC GMV thinning was associated with poorer social and emotional functioning. Additionally, greater family support at age 14 years was associated with slower growth of amygdala volume between ages 14 and 19 years for males; previous research has related slower amygdala growth to resilience to mental health disorders. The findings have extended understanding of mutual social, emotional and brain development, and avenues to protect mental health.

青春期带来了社会背景和行为、大脑结构发育以及焦虑和抑郁症状之间的动态相互作用。腹内侧前额皮质（vmPFC）和杏仁核的体积变化率与青春期的社会情绪发展有关。通常，在此期间，vmPFC 中的灰质体积 (GMV) 会变薄，而杏仁核会增长。社会、情感和神经解剖学因素之间关联的方向性尚未理清，例如社会变量影响区域大脑发育的程度，反之亦然。另外，性别之间的差异仍然存在争议。在这项研究中，使用潜在变化评分模型对两性的同伴问题、家庭支持、社会经济压力、情绪症状、杏仁核体积和 vmPFC GMV 之间的纵向关联进行了调查。来自欧洲多中心研究的基线数据（平均 (SD) 年龄 = 14.40 (0.38) 岁；女性百分比 = 53.19）和随访 2（平均 (SD) 年龄 = 18.90 (0.69) 岁，女性百分比 = 53.19 ）被使用。结果显示，同伴问题并不能预测情绪症状，而是随着时间的推移它们会一起改变。仅对于男性来说，vmPFC GMV、同伴问题和情绪症状之间存在正相关变化，表明 vmPFC GMV 变薄较慢与较差的社交和情绪功能相关。此外，对于男性而言，14 岁时家庭支持的增加与 14 至 19 岁时杏仁核体积增长的减慢有关。先前的研究已将杏仁核生长缓慢与心理健康障碍的恢复能力联系起来。 这些发现加深了人们对相互社交、情感和大脑发育以及保护心理健康的途径的理解。