Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) describes deliberate self-destructive behaviors without the intention to die. Little is known about what factors contribute to NSSI especially among youth. The current study tested two conceptual models for how chronic interpersonal stress and rumination…

As part of the PA Family Support Needs Assessment, PolicyLab assessed county-level data across seven key housing, economic, and community indicators—outlined in this brief—which influence health outcomes in childhood and throughout a person’s life. The brief also includes…

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on Black, Hispanic, and other individuals of color, although data on the effect of a person's language on SARS-CoV-2 infection are limited. Considering the barriers suffered by…

Note: This Issue Brief was updated in March 2023 to reflect changes to the Pennsylvania policy landscape with the enactment of the Expedited Partner Therapy Act.  Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are at an all-time high, a trend that has only been exacerbated by the…

IMPORTANCE: Many children and adolescents in the United States are exposed to neighborhood gun violence. Associations between violence exposure and children’s short-term mental health are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between neighborhood gun violence and…

PolicyLab responded to a request for information from the U.S. Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus regarding challenges and opportunities related to addressing social determinants of health. In this response, PolicyLab experts answer questions such as “what…

Pediatric health systems are increasingly screening caregivers for unmet social needs. However, it remains unclear how best to connect families with unmet needs to available and appropriate community resources. We aimed to explore caregivers' perceived barriers to and facilitators of…

The effects of poverty on child health have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent economic recession, magnifying the urgency for pediatric healthcare institutions to effectively address patients’ unmet social needs. Simultaneously, there is increasing policy and…

The burden of asthma disproportionately affects minority and low-income communities, resulting in racial and socioeconomic disparities in asthma prevalence, asthma exacerbations, and asthma-related death. Social determinants of health are increasingly implicated as root causes of…

The goal of this review was to provide an update on the literature examining how voluntary, temporary abstention from eating impacts cognitive function. We evaluated peer-reviewed articles published between August 2013 and January 2021 that assessed adults, included a measure of…