Lerner Center Research Publications

"Demographic and Geographic Variation in Fatal Drug Overdoses in the United States, 1999–2020," authored by Shannon Monnat, professor of sociology, was published in the ANNALS of of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

"Food Insecurity and the Opioid Crisis," co-authored by Colleen Heflin, professor and chair of public administration and international affairs, and postdoctoral research scholar Xiaohan Sun, was published in the ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

This study finds that children in households that participate in more than one social assistance program (such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs, and Free or Reduced-Price Lunch) have lower literacy skills when they enter kindergarten than children whose households participate in fewer or no social programs. 

This brief summarizes the results of a recent study examining how U.S. states’ COVID-19 policies were related to COVID-19 mortality rates from April to December 2020. 

This brief summarizes results from a recent study seeking to accurately measure the disparity in the Alzheimer disease mortality burden between adults with versus without Down syndrome for years 2005-2019. 

This brief summarizes findings examining the relationship between exposure to UFM in kindergarten and attendance and weight outcomes in NYC students from grades K-3. The results demonstrate that children who receive free meals through UFM in kindergarten have better school attendance than those who do not. In addition, there is no evidence receiving free meals in kindergarten affects weight outcomes.  

"Can Resilience Buffer the Effects of Loneliness on Mental Distress Among Working-Age Adults in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Latent Moderated Structural Modeling Analysis," co-authored by Lerner Center Graduate Research Associate Austin McNeil Brown, was published in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

"Inequality in Literacy Skills at Kindergarten Entry at the Intersections of Social Programs and Race," co-authored by public administration and international affairs professors Michah Rothbart and Colleen Heflin, was published in Children and Youth Services Review.

This brief describes the use of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) as realistic and legally protected approaches to reducing overdoses upon exiting incarceration. It also calls for federal regulation and guidance on the use of MOUD in prisons, jails, and drug courts to ensure each person who needs treatment receives it.

"Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation and Medication Adherence Among Medicaid-Insured Older Adults Living with Hypertension," co-authored by Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs, was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

This brief summarizes new findings examining the theory that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance and calls for healthcare professionals and patients to consider the market influences and social structures that impact health.  

This brief summarizes the key findings of a memorandum and discusses what can be done to improve food security among active-duty military members and their families.

This study, co-authored by Professor of Sociology Janet Wilmoth and published in the International journal of Aging and Human Development, investigates adult children's informal caregiving for, and living arrangements with, older parents in urban India.

This data slice examines the changes in grandparenting in rural China and calls for policies that decrease caregiver burnout, stress, and associated poor health outcomes. 

"Prescription Opioid Resiliency and Vulnerability: A Mixed-Methods Comparative Case Study," co-authored by Professor of Sociology Shannon Monnat, was published in American Journal of Criminal Justice.