Risk and Resilience

Prof. Dr. Lilly Shanahan

The goal of research conducted by the Risk and Resilience group is to understand risk and protective factors in the development of stress-related mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety) and problematic substance use (e.g., cannabis, opioids) in the first few decades of life, especially during adolescence and young adulthood. In other words:  For whom, when, and how do mental health and substance use problems develop? And who is protected from them—despite facing considerable risks? As part of this effort, we also document the developmental patterns of mental health and substance use problems and examine the subsequent well-being of individuals who experienced such problems during their adolescence and young adulthood.

In order to conduct this research, we draw on community-based longitudinal cohort studies typically first recruited during childhood and then followed throughout their teenage years and into adulthood. For example, we draw on the Zurich Project on Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood and the Great Smoky Mountains Study. We perform secondary data analysis on these rich datasets, using sophisticated longitudinal modeling. We have a strong interest in population-based research and our group is actively involved in the UZH Population Research Center.