This special issue captures the multifaceted and dynamic human-environment relationship across a critical stage of development and illustrates the importance of the physical environment in understanding child and adolescent mental health. Illustrated through original articles, action research, systematic reviews, debates, editorial perspectives and commentaries, our authors showcase the nuances of this relationship through diverse methodologies, data sources, interdisciplinary teams and international perspectives. Authors evidence the impact of physical environmental characteristics on psychosocial outcomes early in life, for both community and clinical populations. Exposure to adversities early in life or during critical developmental periods, such as early childhood and adolescence, has the potential to shape later life outcomes. We hope this special issue provides helpful examples of good practice and the ways of working together needed to inspire future youth-led context-specific health research. We also hope that this special issue can encourage us to rethink public health and education policies, urban planning and design priorities, and clinical research and practice to have young people in the centre of this work.
Keywords: Physical environment; children; mental health; psychosocial outcomes; young people.
© 2025 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.