By Prof Roger Gurr August 2018
Proposal for a specific Developmental Trauma service for young people aged 12-25. This is
the period of maximum emergence of mental health disorders, as the brain prunes
connections for efficiency, but exposes functional problems when the most demanding
developmental changes are faced, from sexual maturity, peer social competition and the
emergence of an independent self. Many studies consistently show childhood
developmental trauma creates high vulnerability and adverse outcomes in this age group.