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This article originally appeared on the Sanford School of Public Policy website on November 14, 2025, authored by Sarah Brantley.

Application Period Now Open – Deadline February 5 Summer 2026 Session Hosted by University of Minnesota June 7—19, 2026

Two DUPRI Scholars are represented in the 2025 edition of the Web of Science Highly Cited Researchers list:

Add Health is pleased to announce the following Wave VI Restricted-Use Data are now available:

Feeling supported matters for nearly every part of life. In a sweeping review and meta-analysis of 604 studies, Jennifer Lansford and colleagues examined how perceived social support—whether from parents, peers, teachers, or others—relates to human thriving. They found strong links between feeling supported and improved mental health and work performance, as well as benefits for physical health, education, and a lower risk of taking on new challenges. The analysis revealed cultural and developmental patterns too: social support mattered most for health and risk behaviors during childhood and adolescence, and educational benefits were greater in non-Western contexts. The findings underscore the importance of consistent, caring relationships in shaping long-term well-being and success across diverse cultures and life stages.

Paying doctors equally for virtual and in-person visits can make a real difference in care. A new study co-authored by Kate Bundorf finds that state telehealth payment parity laws significantly expanded access to psychotherapy for workers with mental health conditions. Using insurance claims data from 2019 to 2021, the researchers found that patients received more therapy sessions and made fewer emergency department visits once parity rules took effect. However, the laws did not have the same effect on preventive care for those with chronic physical conditions. The findings suggest that payment parity can strengthen behavioral health access while highlighting the need for additional policies to expand preventive care through telehealth.

A new article from Avshalom Caspi, Terrie Moffit, and colleagues in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science brings together data about assortative mating, intergenerational transmission, and the longitudinal course of mental disorders to reveal how so many disorders become correlated. Together, the evidence yields a developmental understanding of why the search for specific causes, consequences and treatments of different mental disorders has been elusive. The goal of the article is to lay out ideas for reshaping measurement and design practices in psychopathology research.

The tools are there to help people live longer, but a Duke-led study finds the chances of dying before age 70 still depend greatly on where you live. Some countries have made gains in preventing premature deaths, while others — including the U.S. — are behind.

Following last year’s Demography Daze at Carolina Population Center (CPC), DUPRI hosted the 11^th Demography Daze on September 26, 2025.

A new study used measurable metrics of health over time to create a more quantitative view of how stress early in life affects health. The researchers are using the study to determine the need for mental health services.