Research Library

Fellows Joyce Beebe and Edward M. Emmett discuss the child care shortage in the U.S. and evaluate a variety of policy solutions.

Young people in the U.S. face an unprecedented mental health crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated rates of depression, anxiety and suicide among adolescents that were already at historically high levels before the pandemic. Since 2020, mental health-related emergency room visits have increased 31% among adolescents while suicide rates among teenagers increased 25%.

The pandemic spurred a rollercoaster of quick, subsequent economic events in three years that might normally occur across three decades: record unemployment, a brief recession, federal assistance, highest inflation since the 1980s, interest rate increases, and in 2023, concerns regarding a looming recession. Some U.S. consumers have dealt with the aftermath of this whiplash by shifting their spending and saving behaviors. Our experts discuss U.S. consumer trends since the pandemic — what’s stayed the same, new phenomena, and notable policy developments. 

Maternal health is widely seen as a key indicator of a society’s overall well-being. Two new reports out of Texas paint a concerning picture. America has the worst maternal death rate of any wealthy nation, and Texas ranks eighth worst state in the nation for maternal mortality. Here, we discuss the scope of the maternal mortality crisis in Texas, how it is unfolding in communities unevenly across the state, and potential policy responses amid broader public concern on maternal health issues.

On January 7, a six-year-old in Newport News, Virginia shot and wounded his teacher. As of 2020, firearm injury is the leading cause of death among children in America. We discuss the public health implications of rising gun violence, the medical community’s response, and which policy interventions can promote community safety.