The ongoing concern among the public about the safety of school-aged students in the United States has driven researchers to identify effective preventative practices to enhance school safety. Although past research has identified and evaluated specific preventative initiatives, the breadth of literature evaluating multitiered systems of supports…

Purpose: An official autism diagnosis is required to access timely intervention and is associated with better long-term wellbeing and mental health. Certain demographic characteristics, such as being female or a racially or ethnically minoritized youth, have been associated with significant diagnostic lag. However, it remains unclear how assigned…

Recent research has suggested that people with autism spectrum disorder may be disproportionately at risk of substance use disorders. This study analyzed national-level Medicaid Claims data to compare substance use disorder prevalence among Medicaid enrollees with autism spectrum disorder (N = 388,426) and a random sample of enrollees without…

Students in the foster care system tend to have lower educational outcomes than their peers, including more frequent disciplinary events. However, few studies have explored how transitions into and out of foster care placements are associated with educational outcomes. Using longitudinal data from four California school districts, this study…

Objective: Grounded in the Social Rank Theory, this study examined the levels and associations of subjective social status (SSS), depressive symptoms (DEP), and suicidal ideation (SI). Participants: Participants included 956 U.S. college students (M[subscript age] = 19.94, SD[subscript age] = 2.78; 75% females [n = 716], 24% males [n = 228], 41%…

Problem Addressed: To better understand the factors associated with family cancer history (FCH) information and cancer information seeking, we model the process an individual undergoes when assessing whether to gather FCH and seek cancer information and compare models by sociodemographics and family history of cancer. We used cross-sectional data…

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders of childhood. It is characterized by a pattern of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity that leads to functional impairment experienced in multiple settings. Symptoms of ADHD occur during childhood, and many children continue to have symptoms and…

The capacity of the workforce lags behind the current demand for timely autism diagnostic assessment. Primary care providers (PCPs) are well-positioned to diagnose autism at earlier ages than providers from other disciplines. Thus, bolstering PCPs' diagnostic capabilities has been the focus of many recent capacity-building initiatives. Using data…

This brief is a continuation of NWEA's research series examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student achievement and progress toward academic recovery. Initiated in the early phase of the pandemic, this series has leveraged NWEA's large national sample of longitudinal MAP® Growth™ data to track student performance and compare it to…

Despite high rates of mental health concerns among youth, they are unlikely to receive mental health care, with mental health stigma acting as a barrier. The present study explores youth perceptions of the influences of stigma and what should be done to address it, drawing on a large (n = 705) mixed methods dataset of youth aged 14 to 24 from the…

Research increasingly seeks to answer the question: does special education work? This is different than asking if specific interventions have positive effects and instead aims to identify system-wide impacts. We systematically review published quantitative research on the impact of receiving special education services on student outcomes using…

Objective, Participants, & Methods: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health challenges of university students, staff, and faculty alike. We used linear mixed models to examine demographic predictors of, and change over time in, self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms of a cohort of university students and staff/faculty…

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) prevalence has risen globally, with regional variation and sociodemographic disparities affecting diagnosis and intervention. This study examines ASD trends from 1990 to 2018 in California (CA), focusing on sociodemographic factors that may inform policy/interventions. Using CA Department of Public Health birth…

Introduction: Various methods are used to assess healthcare professional students' physical exam skills. Hypertension is a common chronic disease that affects nearly half of adults in the United States, therefore measuring blood pressure is a clinical skill often assessed in a healthcare program curriculum. Methods: This study was conducted to…

Objective: To determine the prevalence of long-distance relationships (LDRs) among college students and explore how relationship dynamics differed between LDRs and geographically close relationships (GCRs). Participants: Data were from romantically involved students (N = 2075) who participated in the 2020 College Sexual Health Survey. Methods:…