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Latest News from Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mexico's junk food and soda taxes

Mexico's taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and junk food are expected to substantially reduce consumption and help address the nation's diabetes crisis. Yet YSPH Professor Rafael Pérez-Escamilla says that taxes alone are insufficient. Without public health education and without clever social marketing campaigns and robust marketing regulation of the food industry, he says, the tax alone is unlikely to achieve more profound decreases in consumption.

Source: The Lancet
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  • Taking the initiative: improving LGBT+ mental health through science

    In this Q&A, Nature Mental Health speaks to Dr. John Pachankis, a clinical psychologist and professor of public health, psychology, and psychiatry, and the director of Yale’s LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative. His research explores mechanisms, including developmental and biopsychosocial components, that contribute to the elevated burden of mental health disorders observed in LGBT+ people and that may serve as targets for reducing risk and for treatment.

    Source: Nature Mental Health
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  • Minnesota Teens Are Fighting Climate Anxiety With Shovels

    Run by teenagers, for teenagers, the Green Crew helps students get their hands dirty with projects like tree planting, trail restoration, and invasive species removal. YSPH Associate Professor Sarah Lowe says the activities could help reduce depression, anxiety, and other negative feelings that can arise when thinking about climate change.

    Source: The New York Times
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  • Faculty Research Awards Showcase YSPH Strengths in Science

    Whether developing a new test for malaria, exposing health risks associated with climate change, or highlighting the impact of stigma on LGBTQ+ population well-being, Yale School of Public Health faculty advanced science in a variety of impactful ways over the past year.

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  • Documentary Highlights Mental Health Benefits of Social Connections

    Yale School of Public Health's Dr. Yusuf Ransome and a team of researchers in his Society, Connectedness, and Health (SOCAH) Lab have partnered with Connecticut independent filmmaker Josh Bibbey to produce a documentary about the power and potential of social connectedness to improve public health.

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  • Helping to Dispel Myths About Aging

    Yale School of Public Health Professor Becca R. Levy has found in her research that people who have taken in negative beliefs from society about aging are more likely to have health problems such as heart attacks, chronic stress, and walking and balance problems.

    Source: AARP
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  • Laboring for Change: Reimagining Black Maternal Health Equity

    In a personal and insightful essay, Yale School of Public Health Research Scientist Dr. Jasmine Abrams, PhD, discusses the urgent need for better maternal health care for Black women in the United States and suggests solutions for improving care that go beyond addressing structural racism.

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