The authors present a model linking pubertal development, brain maturation, social experiences, and internalising difficulties such as depression and anxiety. They argue that hormonal changes associated with puberty reshape social cognition, peer relationships, and self-perceptions, which in turn affect mental health outcomes. Social processes, including peer acceptance, rejection, friendships, and romantic relationships, are identified as central mechanisms through which risk develops. The review emphasises that these factors interact dynamically over time rather than operating independently. Overall, the paper highlights adolescence as a sensitive period in which biological and social changes jointly influence vulnerability and resilience.