Applying Psychological Science, Benefiting Society
By Jennifer Kaminski, PhD (Health Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and President, APA Section on Child Maltreatment) In honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I humbly offer four observations made over the last decade I have spent looking for ways to assist the field of child maltreatment prevention in making forward progress. These […]
By Lauren Fasig, JD, PhD (Director – Children, Youth, and Families Office) Tragic circumstances are often the catalyst for national conversations about children’s mental health. As we know, the heartbreaking events at Sandy Hook elementary have prompted debates in our national media about our kids’ mental health and access to care for those who may […]
By Joan Chrisler, PhD (Chair, APA Committee on Women in Psychology) Decisions about whether – and when – to bear children have long-term consequences for women’s lives. In order to make those decisions, women need to be able to control their own bodies and exercise their rights. Too often women are unable to make those […]
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and APA is proud to raise awareness about what all of us can do to prevent child abuse and neglect. The first of our efforts this month is to shed light on the damaging effects abuse can have on children, long into their adulthood. In the newest issue […]
By Ieshia Haynie (Program Coordinator, Office of Socioeconomic Status) Don’t let the Dow Jones’ record highs fool you. Widespread and persistent poverty remains a national problem. The Census Bureau estimates that 46.2 million people now live below the official poverty line; the largest number in 52 years. As if that weren’t disheartening enough, 16.4 million […]
By Efua Andoh (PI Communications Staff) Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last few years, you know that gay marriage is all over the news these days. Events are moving very fast with national polling indicating nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that same-sex marriage will become legal nationwide. Over here in Public Interest, […]
By Micah Haskell-Hoehl (Senior Policy Associate, PI-Government Relations Office) A visitor to APA headquarters might walk out the main entrance and wonder about the building’s proximity to the Capitol Dome. If nothing else, it is a fitting reminder of APA’s numerous government relations staff working every day to make connections with Congress and the executive […]
With over 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows, the field of psychology has vital input to offer. APA’s Presidential Task Force on Immigration report highlights the challenges to the health and wellbeing of undocumented immigrant youth posed by their documentation status and calls for APA to raise awareness of their mental and behavioral […]
By Allen Omoto, PhD (Chair, APA Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest) Super Storm Sandy and its devastating effects. The horror of Sandy Hook and subsequent attempts to understand why it happened and how it might have been prevented. Daily experiences of kids being bullied in schools. Immigration reform. Women entering […]
By Dr. Gwendolyn P. Keita (Exec. Director, Public Interest) Greetings! Welcome to the Psychology Benefits Society blog – a new initiative from the American Psychological Association’s Public Interest (PI) directorate. I’m Dr. Gwendolyn Keita (call me Gwen) – PI’s Executive Director and I have the honor of writing the inaugural post. So, here goes! Why […]
Psychology Benefits Society 