To reduce cases of child neglect, provide economic relief to struggling families, research indicates.
A 10% increase in a common benefit for low- to moderate-income working families, the Earned Income Tax Credit, led to a 9% decrease in the annual number of reports of child neglect made to child welfare agencies over a 14-year study period. That’s a significant impact, researchers say, and can inform future social policies.
The study is relevant to current policy actions, as President Joe Biden has recently proposed an expansion of the child tax credit as part of his new stimulus plan.
“The EITC is an important part of the US safety net that has been shown to substantially reduce child poverty. Our results add to growing evidence that policies that improve family economic security can also prevent child maltreatment,” says Nicole Kovski, a doctoral student at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington.
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IMAGE: The Prenatal Stress Study is the first study of its kind and will monitor pregnant women and their children until the children reach the age of 4, monitoring for early. view more
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Michigan State University researchers have received a $3.8 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Development to advance research on the effects of prenatal and postnatal stress on child psychopathology.
The Prenatal Stress Study, which first began in 2016, is the first study of its kind. The researchers will monitor pregnant women and their children until the children reach the age of 4, monitoring closely for early markers of psychopathology, specifically, depression, anxiety and impulsivity.
MSU psychologists track child psychopathology from before birth
Michigan State University researchers have received a $3.8 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Development to advance research on the effects of prenatal and postnatal stress on child psychopathology.
The Prenatal Stress Study, which first began in 2016, is the first study of its kind. The researchers will monitor pregnant women and their children until the children reach the age of 4, monitoring closely for early markers of psychopathology, specifically, depression, anxiety and impulsivity.
“What we are doing that is unique is assessing prenatal stress at every week of pregnancy as soon as women enroll in our study, which typically is at 15 weeks,” said Alytia Levendosky, MSU professor of psychology, and one of the principal investigators on the study. “We hope to pinpoint effects of prenatal and postnatal stress on children’s self-regulation, development and mental health p
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Providing economic relief to struggling families can lead to another positive effect fewer cases of child neglect, according to new research by the University of Washington.
A 10% increase in a common benefit for low- to moderate-income working families, the Earned Income Tax Credit, led to a 9% decrease in the annual number of reports of child neglect made to child welfare agencies over a 14-year study period. That s a significant impact, researchers say, and can inform future social policies.
The study is relevant to current policy actions, as President Joe Biden has recently proposed an expansion of the child tax credit as part of his new stimulus plan.
The study in the journal
JAMA Network Open indicates that people who experience psychiatric conditions when they are young are likely to experience excess age-related physical diseases when they are older.
“Our health care system often divides treatment between the brain and the body. Integrating the two could benefit population health.”
Leah Richmond-Rakerd, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, and colleagues found that preexisting physical illness cannot explain this association.
The researchers ruled out the possibility of reverse causation in which having a physical illness precipitates mental health problems. Prior studies had not taken this into account. This association is present across different mental disorders and different physical diseases, Richmond-Rakerd says.