Younger Parenting College Students More Likely to Feel Isolated, Contemplate Suicide
A new report explores the mental health needs of parenting students at undergraduate institutions across the country. Using a sample of nearly 45,000 parenting students, the report highlights concerning disparities in mental health outcomes for younger parenting students ages 18-24, indicating they are five times more likely than non-parenting students to report feeling worthless, twice as likely to report feeling left out or isolated, and twice as likely to have considered suicide in the past year. The report includes eight recommendations for postsecondary institutions to better support the mental health of student parents, with specific emphasis on programs and supports that target younger parenting students. (2021)
Conflict Between Divorced Parents Can Lead to Mental Health Problems in Children
Conflict between divorced or separated parents increases the risk of children developing physical and mental health problems. A new study from the Arizona State University Research and Education Advancing Children’s Health (REACH) Institute found that children experience fear of being abandoned when their divorced or separated parents engage in conflict. Worrying about being abandoned predicted future mental health problems in children (2021).
Decline in Unintended Births
Although unintended births – those categorized as too early or unwanted – have declined in recent years in the U.S., about three in ten births in recent years were unintended. Second births are least often categorized as unintended, at 25%, with the highest share of births that are unintended occurring among third or later births, at 40% (2021).
Teen Birth Rates Continue to Decline
The provisional birth rate for teenagers in 2018 was 17.4 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19, down 7% from 2017, and another record low for this age group. The rate has declined by 58%, or nearly 8% per year, since 2007, the most recent period of continued decline, and 72% since 1991, the most recent peak. The number of births to females aged 15-19 was 179,607 in 2018, down 8% from 2017 and down 60% from 2007. (2019)
The Father Factor: A Critical Link in Building Family Prosperity
This report summarizes critical themes and practical examples that surfaced at the convening to increase father engagement for the well being of children, families, and communities. (2019)