The neurobiology of adolescent decision-making and implications for health policy

Neurobiological evidence is given increased weight in discussions surrounding health policy. Findings about adolescent brains have led to questioning their decision-making capabilities in various settings. However, inferences from laboratory studies often do not apply directly to real-world cases, leading to misconceptions about adolescent decision-making and risk-taking. Using the context of trans adolescent healthcare, this article reviews current knowledge on adolescent decision-making and discusses applications and limitations of these findings to healthcare policy.