PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Where Black adolescents live affects their mental health

Stress of neighborhood poverty and community violence affects Black adolescents' mental health, according to a study from Mason Assistant Professor of Social Work Melissa Villodas.

2023-08-01
(Press-News.org) It’s easy to imagine that growing up in a neighborhood with safe and clean parks, little to no discrimination, and where people are not struggling financially makes for a lower-stress childhood. In contrast, neighborhoods with few community spaces, violence, and poverty create a higher-stress environment for a child to live in. Unfortunately, systemic and structural issues such as wealth inequality, residential segregation, barriers to home ownership, and environmental injustice in neighborhoods where Black American adolescents disproportionately reside make it more likely that Black American adolescents will grow up in this second scenario. 

A new study by Assistant Professor of Social Work Melissa Villodas provides evidence that the stress of neighborhood poverty and community violence negatively affects Black American adolescents' mental health. This could be a contributing factor to Black American adolescents experiencing higher rates of suicidality than any other racial or ethnic group and the growing incidence of mental health challenges among racial minority youth. 

“We need initiatives that build healthy neighborhoods and local resources to support adolescent stress reduction and mental health so that we can improve the lives of Black youth living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods,” said Villodas, who reviewed the existing research about the neighborhood environment’s contribution to stress among Black American adolescents. 

The review found that four distinct aspects of the neighborhood environment have been examined in relation to Black American adolescent stress:  

perceived neighborhood environment, such as perceived levels of trust and safety; 

built neighborhood environment, such as parks and community centers; 

exposure to community violence, such as gang activity and drug use; and 

neighborhood disadvantage, such as poverty, racism, and discrimination. 

The study also highlights opportunities for mental health interventions to address neighborhood-based stressors through community revitalization in spaces where Black American adolescents experience minimal stress, including parks, community centers, and libraries. 

Examining the Influence of the Neighborhood Environment on Stress Among Black American Adolescents: A Scoping Review was published in Youth & Society in June 2023. Other authors include Alexandria B. Forte and Amy Blank Wilson, both from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Amazon dark earth boosts tree growth as much as sixfold

Amazon dark earth boosts tree growth as much as sixfold
2023-08-01
A type of soil called terra preta da Amazônia, or Amazon dark earth (ADE), promotes faster growth of trees and enhances their development in qualitative terms, according to an article published in the journal Frontiers in Soil Science.  The findings reported in the article resulted from studies supported by FAPESP (projects 20/08927-0, 18/19000-4 and 14/50320-4) under the aegis of its Biodiversity, Characterization, Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Use Program (BIOTA).  “ADE is rich in nutrients and supports communities of microorganisms that help plants grow, among other things. Native people of the Amazon have ...

Sweet smell of success: Simple fragrance method produces major memory boost

2023-08-01
Irvine, Calif., Aug. 1, 2023 — When a fragrance wafted through the bedrooms of older adults for two hours every night for six months, memories skyrocketed. Participants in this study by University of California, Irvine neuroscientists reaped a 226% increase in cognitive capacity compared to the control group. The researchers say the finding transforms the long-known tie between smell and memory into an easy, non-invasive technique for strengthening memory and potentially deterring dementia.   The team’s study appears in Frontiers in Neuroscience. ...

Links between attention and conscious perception highlighted in frontoparietal networks

Links between attention and conscious perception highlighted in frontoparietal networks
2023-08-01
Almost half of patients who experienced a stroke in the right cerebral hemisphere later develop a very unusual symptom: they lose the ability to perceive what is happening in the left side of space. As a result, they tend to eat only the right side of their plate, ignore people on their left, and have great difficulty finding their way around. This disorder, known as hemispatial neglect, does not involve basic visual abilities, which remain intact. “These patients see very well. The problem ...

NIH awards Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia $26 million grant to develop therapies for rare newborn genetic diseases

2023-08-01
PHILADELPHIA—A Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) team will seek to develop treatments for three rare, incurable genetic diseases with the help of a $26 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research will focus on three genetic diseases that impact newborns in the first weeks and months after birth: Phenylketonuria (PKU), hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 (HT1), and mucopolysaccharidosis type 1 (MPSI), commonly known as Hurler’s Syndrome. PKU causes an amino acid—called phenylalanine—to build up in the body, and as long as treatment begins at birth, PKU is ...

False claims attacks on infrastructure focus of NSF-funded research

False claims attacks on infrastructure focus of NSF-funded research
2023-08-01
False claims and disinformation, especially in a social media-driven society, have become major problems with potentially severe consequences. Kash Barker, Ph.D., principal investigator and the Anadarko Presidential Professor in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Gallogly College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, is leading a team of researchers examining indirect attacks targeting infrastructure systems via unwitting users, supported by a $599,947 grant from the National Science Foundation's Secure ...

New survey reveals British public generally think disruptive, non-violent protesters should not be imprisoned

2023-08-01
Despite this prevailing negative sentiment, results showed the public generally think the most suitable punishment for disruptive, non-violent protesters is a fine or lesser penalty than imprisonment. The research, led by the University of Bristol, suggests public opinion may not be supportive of the Government’s recent legislative changes, through The Public Order Act 2023, which introduce harsher sentences for disruptive protesters. The online poll, conducted by YouGov this month, surveyed 2,069 adults of all political viewpoints across Britain. ...

While resolving a key asthma challenge, Hamilton researchers also create a new method to detect proteins in body fluids and other materials

While resolving a key asthma challenge, Hamilton researchers also create a new method to detect proteins in body fluids and other materials
2023-08-01
HAMILTON, ON, Aug. 1, 2023 – Based on decades of work to uncover the underlying mechanisms of asthma and other respiratory conditions, researchers at McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton have produced a simple, rapid test that can identify the presence of a key driver of severe asthma. John Brennan, director of McMaster’s Biointerfaces Institute, and Parameswaran Nair, a respirologist at the St. Joseph’s-based Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, led the creation of a new rapid test that can quickly and accurately identify white blood cells known as eosinophils, even when they are present in complex biological samples ...

Using gemstones’ unique characteristics to uncover ancient trade routes

Using gemstones’ unique characteristics to uncover ancient trade routes
2023-08-01
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2023 – Since ancient times, gemstones have been mined and traded across the globe, sometimes traveling continents from their origin. Gems are geologically defined as minerals celebrated for beauty, strength, and rarity. Their unique elemental composition and atomic orientation act as a fingerprint, enabling researchers to uncover the stones’ past, and with it, historical trade routes. In AIP Advances, from AIP Publishing, Khedr et al. employed three modern spectroscopic techniques to rapidly analyze gems found in the Arabian-Nubian Shield and compare them with similar gems from around the world. Using ...

Illegal shooting kills most birds found dead near power lines

Illegal shooting kills most birds found dead near power lines
2023-08-01
Birds can be electrocuted if they come into contact with two energized parts of a power line at once—which can happen when they spread their wings to take off from or land on a power pole. Because of this, energy companies invest substantial time and money into making sure power lines are avian safe, installing safe perches and insulating energized elements. However, a recent study published on August 1 in the journal iScience presents a new priority for conservation, as it suggests that electrocution is no longer the only leading cause of death for ...

Male moth ‘aphrodisiac’ revealed

Male moth ‘aphrodisiac’ revealed
2023-08-01
Media contacts:     Coby Schal, coby@ncsu.edu Mick Kulikowski, News Services, 919.218.5937 or mick_kulikowski@ncsu.edu                          Aug 1, 2023              Male Moth ‘Aphrodisiac’ Revealed  EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 11 A.M. EDT ON TUESDAY, AUG.1 North Carolina State University researchers have identified the specific blend of pheromone chemicals – including a newly revealed aphrodisiac – used by male moths during courtship as they attempt to entice females to mate. The findings provide more detail ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima

AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk

New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs

MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health

Working together, cells extend their senses

Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution

Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking

Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure

Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage

University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources

Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change

Measuring the quantum W state

Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells

Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging

Funding for training and research in biological complexity

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025

ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research

Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury

Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows

Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior

OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech

Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia

Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults

Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children

Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults

Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults

How interstellar objects similar to 3I/ATLAS could jump-start planet formation around infant stars

Rented e-bicycles more dangerous than e-scooters in cities

Ditches as waterways: Managing ‘ditch-scapes’ to strengthen communities and the environment

In-situ molecular passivation enables pure-blue perovskite LEDs via vacuum thermal evaporation

[Press-News.org] Where Black adolescents live affects their mental health
Stress of neighborhood poverty and community violence affects Black adolescents' mental health, according to a study from Mason Assistant Professor of Social Work Melissa Villodas.