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Exposure to gun violence can have severe adverse effects on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents, including increased likelihood of depression, PTSD, anxiety, and poor academic performance. This brief explores these impacts in addition to the various ways in which youth are exposed to gun violence, both directly and indirectly.
This brief analyzes the latest youth mortality data from the CDC, finding that nearly 22,000 children and adolescents died by firearm in the past decade. More information on trends over time, type of firearm deaths, and how these deaths vary by demographic and state are available in this brief.
Secretary Kennedy's efforts to narrow the childhood vaccine schedule does not reflect the views of most parents, but KFF polling suggests it may have more appeal among President Trump's base.
This brief examines two proposed federal rules that would further restrict youth access to gender affirming care. One rule would change the hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs) which would prohibit most Medicare and Medicaid enrolled hospitals from providing certain types of gender affirming medical care for young people and the other would prohibit federal Medicaid or CHIP funds from covering this care. The rules have a 60-day comment period, do no take immediate effect, and…
This issue brief reviews the major sex education models and funding streams that are most commonly used, highlights state policies on sex education, and summarizes what is known about the impact of these programs and policies on teen sexual behavior and health outcomes.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, deaths due to drug overdose among adolescents more than doubled, primarily driven by the synthetic opioid, fentanyl. National survey data show that while the percent of adolescents (ages 12-17) with a past year substance use disorder decreased from 2021 to 2024, the share of adolescents with a past year opioid use disorder remained stable over the same period. Additionally, less than one-third of adolescents with a past year opioid use…
The KFF-Washington Post partnership Survey of Parents explores experiences and views pertaining to childhood vaccines. The Survey of Parents also sheds light on school vaccination requirements, views on federal health agencies and policy changes, and the views of parents with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This poll comes as the Trump administration revamps federal policies, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to question the childhood vaccine schedule.
A new KFF-Washington Post partnership survey of parents explores their experiences with and views about vaccines for their children, including a look into how they make decisions related to vaccines and where they are uncertain or confused about their safety. The poll comes as the Trump administration’s Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to question the childhood vaccine schedule and to raise doubts about vaccine safety and effectiveness. Based on interviews…
This issue brief explores the landscape of mental health services, including services offered, utilization, barriers, and funding, and how recent federal actions may affect school-based mental health care. The analysis draws upon survey data collected directly from public school administrators.
This brief examines state consent requirements for minors accessing contraceptive and abortion care, processes for minors to attempt to obtain abortion without parental involvement, and trends in state policy increasing requirements for parental involvement in minors’ health care decisions.
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