The Impact of Psychosocial Factors on Development

Psychiatry has a long history of using a biopsychosocial framework for understanding the human condition. While much of the current focus within the discipline is on unraveling the biological elements of human behavior, emotion, and cognition, we must not lose sight of the importance of the psychosocial variables that play a critical role in influencing psychological development. The totality of the environment—from the microenvironment of the womb, to the family environment, to the larger societal macroenvironment—is involved in shaping development. With this knowledge, it behooves us to do all that we possibly can to create the best possible opportunities to enhance the development of all children. It will take the presence of strong communitybased leadership to build healthy neighborhoods within which families will have a better chance of raising mentally healthy children. And governmental organizations must have the political will to provide their citizens with the basic psychosocial supports that facilitate the formation of healthy families, and mediate healthy psychological development for all.